The conversation around Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem is moving beyond technology alone, with industry leaders and policymakers calling for greater support across sectors that can drive sustainable development.
That was a key focus at the second edition of the Innovation Makers Challenge (IMC) Conference & Innovation Exhibition 2.0, organised by the Telecommunication and Technology Sustainability Working Group (TTSWG) in Lagos on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
Held under the theme “Nurturing Innovation Ecosystems: Beyond Ideas to Real Impact,” the conference brought together policymakers, technology and telecom executives, investors, development partners, financial institutions, young innovators and other stakeholders from across Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.
Sponsored by IHS Nigeria, this year’s edition expanded significantly from the inaugural conference, which focused on two sectors.
The 2026 edition covered five areas considered critical to Nigeria’s sustainable development: health, agriculture, education, climate change and technology.
Five female innovators compete for seed funding
One of the major highlights of the event was a live pitch competition featuring five female-led early-stage startups working across agriculture, climate, technology and education.
The finalists were QiqiFarms, an AgriTech platform focused on farm produce offtake; Elcornel Business Enterprises Limited, which develops climate-friendly agricultural solutions; Anatsor Limited, a technology company providing poultry farm management software; Agrovesto, an AgriTech company developing an operating system for bankable and sustainable agriculture; and Blue Sands STEM Labs, a virtual laboratory focused on education technology.
The three winning startups received a combined ₦9.5 million in seed funding.
Agrovesto took the top prize of ₦6 million, while Blue Sands STEM Labs received ₦2 million as the first runner-up. QiqiFarms, which finished as the second runner-up, received ₦1 million.
The funding is expected to help the startups strengthen their operations and take their solutions further into the market.
Closing the gap between ideas and impact
Speaking at the event, Dapo Otunla, Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Services Officer at IHS Nigeria, described the conference as a platform for helping young innovators turn ideas into practical solutions.
He said the initiative was designed to address the gap between infrastructure and innovation, as well as between connectivity and the ability to use technology to solve real-world problems.
“As a company, we believe education is one of the most powerful forms of economic empowerment available to us. When entrepreneurs are equipped with the right knowledge, they build stronger businesses. They create employment, develop other people, make smarter decisions and scale responsibly.”
Otunla added that the impact of entrepreneurship extends beyond individual businesses, reaching families, communities and the wider economy.
According to him, the Innovation Makers Challenge sits at the point where infrastructure meets imagination and connectivity meets capability.
The goal, he said, is not simply to help people generate ideas, but to give them the knowledge and support required to turn those ideas into viable solutions.
TTSWG broadens its approach to sustainability
Bankole Oloruntoba, Lead Consultant at the TTSWG Secretariat, said the expansion of the conference reflects the group’s broader approach to sustainability within Nigeria’s technology and telecommunications ecosystem.
He explained that the first edition focused on two sectors, while this year’s programme expanded to five.
“We know the sector cannot attain sustainability with just technology alone; we also have to bring in other essential components or wide-range of activities.”
Oloruntoba said the IMC was created not only to support innovation but also to provide a platform where young innovators from different sectors can connect, learn and find opportunities to grow.
He noted that building a successful innovation involves several stages, from developing an idea to finding the right support, resources and market opportunities.
He added that inspiring a new generation of innovators remains one of the key objectives of the initiative.
From exhibitions to investor connections
Beyond the pitch competition, the conference featured product exhibitions, panel discussions, fireside conversations and networking sessions.
The activities provided opportunities for young founders to showcase their solutions and connect with investors, industry executives and other stakeholders who could help them move from the early stages of development towards commercialisation and scale.
Oloruntoba also thanked the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), IHS Nigeria and the initiative’s partners, including MTN, Airtel, Co-Creation Hub, Hydrogen, Lagos Business School Sustainability Centre and Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC), for supporting the programme.
The Technology and Telecommunications Sustainability Working Group (TTSWG) is a multi-stakeholder organisation focused on advancing sustainability within Nigeria’s technology and telecommunications sector.
The group brings together more than 20 organisations from the private and public sectors. Its members and partners include IHS Towers, MTN Nigeria, Quomodo Systems Africa, the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, HP, Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre, Phase 3 Telecoms, SystemSpecs Ltd and MainOne Technologies, among others.