NASENI Launches Xceler8 Programme to Commercialise Nigerian Innovations

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI)  has launched the NASENI Xceler8 Programme, a strategic accelerator initiative designed to help Nigerian innovators turn scientific and engineering breakthroughs into commercially viable businesses.

The programme is being implemented in partnership with AfriLabs, a pan-African network of innovation and technology hubs. It is targeted at innovators who have already developed functional prototypes, minimum viable products (MVPs) or commercially available products.

Under the initiative, selected innovators will receive support covering product refinement, business development, market access, technical mentorship, industry networking, investment readiness and onboarding.

The programme will provide up to $25,000 in acceleration support per cohort, with the top 10 innovators also receiving an opportunity to pitch their businesses to investors and industry stakeholders during a Demo Day in Abuja.

NASENI said the programme is designed to address a major challenge facing Nigerian innovators: the difficulty of moving promising technologies beyond the prototype stage into sustainable commercial ventures.

Speaking on the initiative, NASENI Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, represented by his Special Adviser on ICT, Engineer Bashir Aliyu, said the real measure of innovation lies not simply in developing ideas or prototypes, but in the ability to transform them into products capable of attracting investment, creating jobs and competing in the marketplace.

According to the agency, the Xceler8 Programme will also strengthen participants’ capacity in areas including product development, commercialisation, intellectual property, business strategy and investment readiness.

NASENI further stressed that commercialising home-grown innovations is critical to Nigeria’s economic transformation, particularly as locally developed technologies can create industries, generate employment and strengthen the country’s problem-solving capacity.

AfriLabs Executive Director Nanko Madu said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to building an innovation ecosystem capable of translating Nigerian ingenuity into commercial and industrial success.

She noted that AfriLabs’ network of more than 540 innovation hubs across 54 African countries would connect participating innovators with mentors, investors, corporate partners and potential markets.

The programme is open to Nigerians aged 15 to 40 with functional MVPs, live commercial products or evidence of paying customers. Applicants are expected to demonstrate a commitment to national development and show that their innovations address real-world challenges.

Also speaking at the event, Managing Director of Vahab Limited, Mr. Austin Okoye, emphasised the importance of investment in research, engineering, certification, manufacturing and commercialisation to ensure promising innovations become scalable businesses.

The launch culminated in the unveiling of the Xceler8 structure and an invitation to eligible innovators to apply for the programme and access opportunities aimed at scaling their solutions for greater social and economic impact.