The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, NBTI, Dr Kazeem Raji.

The Federal Government on Thursday unveiled the Tinubu Light Initiative, a nationwide renewable energy programme designed to provide affordable clean energy to one million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in a move aimed at lowering production costs, creating jobs and accelerating industrial growth.

The initiative was unveiled by the National Board for Technology Incubation during the National Showcase of the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2026 held in Abuja.

Speaking at the event, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, NBTI, Dr Kazeem Raji, said the programme would create more than 50,000 direct jobs, promote clean energy adoption, strengthen local manufacturing and improve the competitiveness of Nigerian businesses.

Raji said the initiative was conceived to tackle one of the biggest constraints facing businesses in Nigeria’s high energy costs resulting from unreliable electricity supply and dependence on fossil fuel-powered generators.

He said, “The Tinubu Light Initiative seeks to change this narrative. Through innovative financing models, strategic partnerships, renewable energy technologies and nationwide implementation, this initiative will provide affordable clean energy solutions to one million Nigerian MSMEs.

“Imagine one million businesses operating with lower production costs. Imagine millions of entrepreneurs reinvesting their savings into business expansion. Imagine increased productivity across every sector of our economy. Imagine cleaner communities. Imagine stronger local industries.

“Imagine more competitive Nigerian products. Imagine thousands of new factories emerging because energy is no longer a barrier to growth. That is the future we are building today.”

According to him, the initiative will also encourage local assembly and production of renewable energy equipment, reduce carbon emissions, strengthen financial inclusion through innovative digital financing platforms and expand economic opportunities for women and young entrepreneurs.

He added, “This initiative goes beyond electrification. It is an industrial policy. It is an employment strategy. It is a poverty reduction programme. It is a climate action initiative. It is a national productivity agenda. Above all, it is a practical investment in the future prosperity of Nigeria.”

Raji said the programme aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the administration’s efforts to reposition innovation, science, technology and entrepreneurship as key drivers of sustainable economic development, saying, “The Renewed Hope Agenda is no longer merely a policy framework; it is increasingly becoming a practical roadmap for unlocking Nigeria’s immense economic potential through innovation, entrepreneurship and technology.”

The NBTI boss also highlighted the impact of the NextGen Innovation Challenge, revealing that the 2026 edition attracted thousands of applications from innovators across renewable energy, agriculture, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, healthcare, manufacturing, education, financial technology, climate technology and industrial engineering.

“This overwhelming participation demonstrates one undeniable reality: Nigeria is blessed with an abundance of innovative minds. Our challenge has never been a lack of ideas. Our challenge has been creating the right ecosystem to nurture those ideas into globally competitive enterprises. That is precisely what the National Board for Technology Incubation is committed to achieving,” he said.

Raji explained that the innovation challenge had grown beyond a competition into a national platform connecting innovators with investors and supporting the commercialisation of indigenous technologies.

“When we conceived the NextGen Innovation Challenge, our ambition was never to organise another competition. Our vision was far greater. We set out to ignite a national movement—a movement that would discover hidden talents in every part of Nigeria, bridge the gap between research and industry, and restore confidence in the extraordinary ingenuity of Nigerians,” he said.

Reflecting on the inaugural edition in 2025, he disclosed that one of the participating innovators secured a £1.5 million investment commitment, while several agricultural innovations developed through the programme are already improving productivity and reducing post-harvest losses in Kaduna, Bauchi and other states.

He added that many of the innovations emerging from the challenge had moved beyond laboratories into practical use.

“They are solving real problems. They are creating jobs. They are attracting investors. They are improving livelihoods. They are contributing to national development. These are not prototypes gathering dust on shelves. These are practical solutions improving lives. This is the true purpose of innovation,” Raji stated.

The NBTI chief said the agency would continue leveraging its network of Technology Incubation Centres nationwide to identify talent, mentor innovators, facilitate technology transfer and convert research outcomes into commercially viable products.

He also announced that the NextGen Innovation Challenge had secured the support of the Commonwealth Secretariat, paving the way for its expansion into a Commonwealth-wide initiative involving all 56 member nations.