FG, NBTI Unveil Tinubu Light Initiative To Boost 1m Businesses, Target 50,000 Jobs
The Federal Government has officially launched the Tinubu Light Initiative (TLI), a national economic transformation project designed to provide affordable renewable energy to one million Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and generate over 50,000 direct jobs across Nigeria.
The unveiling took place on Thursday in Abuja during the National Showcase of the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2026, organized by the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) at the NICON Luxury Hotel under the theme, “Igniting Indigenous Innovation • Transforming Nigeria • Inspiring the World.”
Delivering his keynote address, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN, emphasized that reliable energy and indigenous technology are central to achieving sustainable national growth under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
”The future wealth of nations will no longer be determined solely by natural resources. It will increasingly be defined by ideas, innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, and the ability to transform knowledge into economic value,” Udeh stated.
The Minister explained that while the NextGen Innovation Challenge serves as a national discovery engine for local breakthroughs, the Tinubu Light Initiative ensures those solutions deliver tangible economic impact by cutting operational costs for small businesses, expanding digital financing, and accelerating green energy adoption.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NBTI, Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, noted that the dual flagship initiatives mark a defining milestone in transitioning Nigeria toward a knowledge-driven economy.
Raji revealed that the NextGen Innovation Challenge has evolved from a local competition into a broader Commonwealth movement across 56 member nations.
Highlighting success stories from previous editions, he disclosed that participants have attracted significant foreign direct investments including a £1.5 million investment commitment secured by an outstanding innovator while other agricultural solutions are actively enhancing farming productivity in states such as Bauchi and Kaduna.
”Economic prosperity begins when businesses have reliable and affordable energy. The Tinubu Light Initiative is an industrial policy, an employment strategy, a climate action plan, and a poverty reduction program rolled into one,” Raji said.
The event drew diplomats, investors, academic leaders, and international development partners, including representatives from key collaborating entity UKALD, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and the British High Commission.
