The Federal Government has unveiled the Tinubu Light Initiative, a nationwide renewable energy programme targeting one million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with affordable clean energy.
The initiative was unveiled by the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) during the National Showcase of the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2026 in Abuja.
NBTI Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Kazeem Raji, said the programme is designed to reduce business operating costs, create jobs, promote clean energy adoption and strengthen local manufacturing.
Raji said the initiative would create more than 50,000 direct jobs while improving the competitiveness of Nigerian businesses.
He identified high energy costs, unreliable electricity supply and dependence on fossil fuel-powered generators as major constraints facing businesses across the country.
“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,” he said.
Raji said the programme would also promote the local assembly and production of renewable energy equipment, reduce carbon emissions and expand access to innovative digital financing platforms.
According to him, the initiative would create more economic opportunities for women and young entrepreneurs while supporting industrial growth.
“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.
He added that the programme aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the administration’s efforts to make innovation, science, technology and entrepreneurship drivers of sustainable economic development.
Raji also highlighted the impact of the NextGen Innovation Challenge, which attracted thousands of applications from innovators working in renewable energy, agriculture, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, healthcare, manufacturing, education, fintech, climate technology and industrial engineering.
“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.
The NBTI chief said the innovation challenge had evolved from a competition into a national platform connecting innovators with investors and supporting the commercialisation of indigenous technologies.
Reflecting on the inaugural 2025 edition, Raji disclosed that one participating innovator secured a £1.5 million investment commitment, while agricultural innovations developed through the programme are already helping to improve productivity and reduce post-harvest losses in Kaduna, Bauchi and other states.
He said several innovations had also moved from 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.
He said NBTI would continue using its network of Technology Incubation Centres across the country to identify talent, mentor innovators, facilitate technology transfer and turn research outcomes into commercially viable products.
Raji further 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 countries.
