The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has launched a three-month virtual accelerator programme to help Nigerian innovators turn their working prototypes into successful businesses. The programme, called Xceler8, was unveiled on Monday, August 31, 2026, at a media parley hosted by the NASENI Innovation Hub in Abuja. It will select 25 post-minimum viable product (MVP) innovators from across Nigeria and provide them with up to $25,000 in programme support.
Bridging the Gap Between Innovation and the Market
Speaking at the launch, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Khalil Halilu, said the initiative was designed to address the gap between innovation and commercialisation in Nigeria. He noted that Nigeria does not lack brilliant engineers and scientists. What the country needs is a bridge between the laboratory and the market.
Halilu, who was represented by his Special Adviser on ICT and Emerging Technologies, Mr Bashir Aliyu, said the real challenge is moving solutions developed in laboratories, universities, workshops and startups from the prototype stage to the market. He asked a series of important questions: Can an idea become a product? Can that product solve a real problem? Can it reach the people who need it? Can it create jobs, attract investment, compete in the market and ultimately improve lives?
According to Halilu, Xceler8 is not an idea-generation initiative. It is a commercialisation and scale programme aimed at helping Nigerian innovators build sustainable businesses around local solutions.
What the Programme Offers
Selected innovators will receive a wide range of support through the Xceler8 programme. This includes business development support, technical guidance, market access, mentorship, industry connections and investment-readiness support.
Participants will take part in structured capacity-building workshops, hands-on product development assistance and expert mentorship from practitioners in their fields. The programme will be delivered virtually, allowing participants to join from anywhere in Nigeria.
At the end of the three-month programme, the strongest ventures will pitch their businesses to investors, industry partners and the media at a physical Demo Day in Abuja. The top 10 innovators from each cohort will present their solutions to potential investors and industry stakeholders.
Who Can Apply
NASENI has set clear eligibility requirements for the Xceler8 programme. Applicants must be Nigerian citizens aged between 15 and 40, resident in Nigeria and operating a registered Nigerian entity.
Applicants must also be able to provide evidence of at least five completed paid transactions. They must have a fully functional prototype or a live commercial product capable of solving a local problem in science, engineering or innovation.
NASENI has stressed that idea-stage concepts will not be eligible for the programme. The programme is designed specifically for innovators who have already demonstrated proof of concept, developed an MVP or commercial solution, attracted early customers and established market demand.
Priority Sectors for the Xceler8 Program
The programme will give priority to innovators working in key sectors that are important for Nigeria’s development. These include agrotech, renewable energy, fintech, edtech, healthtech and manufacturing.
Programme Objectives and Impact
NASENI has set clear targets for the Xceler8 programme. The first cohort is expected to accelerate 25 startups, facilitate the creation of at least 100 direct and indirect jobs, establish five strategic partnerships and deliver measurable improvements in the commercial and investment readiness of participating ventures.
Over the next year, 100 post-MVP innovators are expected to participate across four cohorts. Xceler8 will serve as the commercialisation engine within NASENI’s broader innovation ecosystem.
Catalyzing A Broader Innovation Ecosystem
Nanko Madu, the Co-Executive Director and Director of Programmes at AfriLabs, which is the implementing partner for NASENI Xceler8, explained how the programme fits into a larger vision. The ecosystem begins with HatchBox, where ideas are nurtured. It continues through the NASENI Innovation Hub, where innovators receive business and technical support. It culminates at the NASENI Campus, where high-potential ventures can access infrastructure, partnerships and industrial opportunities.
Madu said the ultimate objective is to transform Nigeria from a nation of innovators into a nation of industrial innovators capable of designing, manufacturing and competing globally.
Applicants Encouraged to Prioritize Clarity
Head of the NASENI Innovation Hub, Busola Beckley Perez-Folayan, said the accelerator was deliberately designed for entrepreneurs who had progressed beyond the conceptual stage. She encouraged applicants to be clear about what they want to achieve during the three-month programme.
Every applicant must show real transactions and name a specific milestone they intend to hit during the programme. That discipline is what makes the three months count, and it is why the organisers expect this cohort to create jobs and attract investment well beyond Demo Day.
The application window for the Xceler8 programme opened on August 31, 2026, and will close on September 30, 2026. Interested innovators are encouraged to apply through the NASENI Innovation Hub website.
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A Nigeria First Innovation Agenda
Halilu described Xceler8 as what a Nigeria First innovation agenda looks like in practice. He said the programme is backing founders who have already built something real and already have paying customers, giving them the business capability, capital readiness and networks to scale.
He noted that commercialising local innovation is critical to creating industries, jobs, intellectual property, investment opportunities and new pathways for economic growth. The programme represents a significant step forward in Nigeria’s journey to become a global leader in science, engineering and technology innovation.
