Japan Grants $12.1M to Nigeria for Abuja Start-up Hub to Spur Tech Innovation

BY ANTHONY ADA ABRAHAM

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has cemented a major partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) through a grant worth JPY 1.6 billion (approximately USD 12.1 million) to support the development of the Abuja Start-up Hub.

A signing ceremony held at the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in Abuja marked the official launch of this collaboration, which aims to accelerate digital innovation and entrepreneurship in Nigeria.

The initiative is part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to drive digital transformation, attract private sector investment, and generate job opportunities for the nation’s growing youth population.

The project will span five years and eight months, running from April 2025 to December 2030. It will be jointly implemented by NITDA and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), with a focus on empowering young Nigerians to build scalable ventures that could evolve into Africa’s next unicorns.

Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, represented the Nigerian government at the event, while Mr. Hitoshi Kozaki, Deputy Head of Mission, represented the Government of Japan.