The Federal Government has partnered with a United States-based firm, US Market Access Centre (USMAC), and the Imo State Government to launch a nationwide mentoring programme aimed at empowering Nigerian startups and boosting digital innovation.
The initiative, modelled after Silicon Valley-style hackathons, aims to mentor 2,000 young entrepreneurs, nurture small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into globally competitive companies, and create sustainable employment opportunities.
Speaking at the pre-launch in Abuja, Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on ICT Development and Digital Innovation, Tokoni Igoin, said the initiative would equip Nigerians with the tools to build companies capable of operating within and beyond the country.
Igoin, represented by his technical advisor on ICT and Administration, Amukoyo Onome, said the programme aims to create opportunities for Nigerians, especially the youth, to start their businesses at the micro level and grow them into full-fledged companies.
According to him, the present administration is focused on job creation and building globally competitive enterprises.
He noted that while funding remains a major challenge for startups, the government is providing support through initiatives such as
Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), which he said offers loans and grants to young entrepreneurs.
He said, “Nigeria is one country that most people seem to think is unsafe, and from the previous administration, there has been this complaint of insecurity and all of that. However, I would like to quote Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who stated that the country’s economy is now quite stable, and what we’re looking at is growing the economy.
“So, as much as the country has been known to be insecure, we can probably say those are things of the past. The administration is working tirelessly to ensure that the country is quite safe and that investors can come in and invest. And as you can see, this event is part of proof that we have investors coming in from outside of Nigeria to invest.”
Co-founder of Global Innovation Dojo, Colin Donohue, emphasised that Nigeria possesses the talent necessary to produce billion-dollar companies, but lacks structured mentorship and ecosystem support.
According to him, the project is designed to identify entrepreneurs with resilience and capacity to scale into high-growth ventures.
He revealed that the Imo State Government has set up a digital hub to serve as an accelerator, with national data protection frameworks already in place to safeguard intellectual property and sensitive data.
“When just a handful of founders succeed, the impact spreads across society. What is missing is experienced mentors who have built and sold global companies. This project aims to bridge that gap by linking Nigerian startups with successful international founders,” he said.
USMAC’s Africa Representative, Matt Ifese, said the programme would run in phases, starting with application calls over the next 30 days, followed by a curated Silicon Valley-standard hackathon in October.
Ifese disclosed that the Tinubu administration has rolled out several initiatives, particularly in talent discovery and development.
He observed that what is critical now is synchronising these efforts, as both the federal and state governments are driving their own programmes with significant momentum.
According to him, this is the first time a large team of Silicon Valley professionals has visited Nigeria to work directly with local innovators.
He said the partnership with the United States Market Access Centre and the University of California, Berkeley, represents a major milestone that is expected to make a significant impact on Nigeria’s digital innovation ecosystem.
