Eight Nigerian Entrepreneurs Put Homegrown Innovation on the Global Stage in Lahore

Eight Nigerian entrepreneurs have taken homegrown businesses to an international audience in Lahore, Pakistan, returning from the SEE Pakistan 2026 World Startup Championship with two awards for Nigeria.

Nigeria received the Country Award in the Growth and Innovation Category, while Uthman Fatimah Zahra of Nature’s Sleek Limited won the Best Skincare and Beauty Products category.

The result came at a competition that attracted more than 4,000 applications from over 40 countries, according to the Nigerian participants, giving the delegation an opportunity to present businesses developed in different parts of Nigeria before an international audience.

The Nigerian delegation brought together entrepreneurs from National Board for Technology Incubation Technology Incubation Centres in Uyo, Ile-Ife, Ibadan, Minna, Kaduna, Lagos, Bauchi and Port Harcourt.

They were Ndotehyin Kingsley Ekanem of Latent Simulation Works Limited, TIC Uyo; Alawode Olukemi Folasade of Green Oasis Foods, TIC Ile-Ife; Saidat Omowumi Dauda of Abisal Megatop Limited, TIC Ibadan; Uthman Fatimah Zahra of Nature’s Sleek Limited, TIC Minna; Asma Begum Mirza of Muhammad and Roshaneh Farms Limited, TIC Kaduna; Olabode Owoeye of Porter & Briggs Limited, TIC Lagos; Umar Rabiu Oyakhilome of Green-Tech Visionary Enterprise Limited, TIC Bauchi; and Bernard Emeka Eme of Benemes Nigeria Limited, TIC Port Harcourt.

Their participation followed an invitation extended through the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and NBTI in June 2026, after which entrepreneurs were nominated from NBTI’s Technology Incubation Centres across the country.

The championship was not limited to the competition itself. Participating countries were provided with exhibition booths where entrepreneurs could market their products and engage venture capitalists, angel investors and prospective business partners.

The Nigerian participants said their booths attracted considerable attention, describing the exhibition area as a major point of activity during the event.

“The Nigerian booths were buzzing with activities. This is where the SEE Pakistan turned up to see Nigeria,” they said.

Their preparation for the international event had begun before they arrived in Pakistan. Through NBTI’s Technology Incubation Programme, they had received training and certification covering ISO 9001:2024, project management skills, export preparedness and corporate marketing skills.

A pre-competition boot camp also exposed them to international business-to-business and business-to-consumer engagements.

The entrepreneurs said the training helped prepare them for the demands of an international marketplace.

“The various training and certification of the Technology Incubation Programme provided by NBTI, including ISO 9001:2024, project management skills, export preparedness and corporate marketing skills, had long prepared us for a moment like this,” they said.

The achievement was announced by the NBTI Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Kazeem Raji, in a statement issued on Thursday.

Raji said the performance demonstrated the capacity within Nigeria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to compete internationally.

“The success of our entrepreneurs in Lahore is a compelling demonstration that Nigeria possesses the talent, creativity and intellectual capacity to compete in the global innovation economy,” he said.

He added that NBTI would continue supporting technology-based enterprises by promoting indigenous innovation, facilitating commercialisation and connecting entrepreneurs with capital, expertise and international markets.

The entrepreneurs are now seeking support to build on the opportunities created by their participation.

They appealed to the Federal Government for financial assistance to enable them to pursue the full international commercialisation of their products and services.

In addition, they called on NBTI and the Federal Government to facilitate engagement with their respective state governments to secure facilities and infrastructure required to expand their businesses.

According to the entrepreneurs, this would help them scale their operations, establish permanent production facilities within their respective states, create employment opportunities and increase their contribution to the local economy.

For the eight entrepreneurs, the experience has provided international exposure, new commercial possibilities and recognition for businesses developed through Nigeria’s technology incubation ecosystem.

“On behalf of Team Nigeria, we, the eight entrepreneurs, really appreciate this opportunity and promise to even do more to change the narrative of our nation, Nigeria,” they said.