UK-Nigeria Tech Hub unveils NICE to unify Startup Ecosystem

The UK-Nigeria Tech Hub and The Nest Innovation Technology Park have launched the Nigeria Innovation Cluster Exchange (NICE), a national programme that aims to improve collaboration across Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.

The organisations announced the initiative in a joint statement on Monday.

The UK-Nigeria Tech Hub funds the programme through the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme. Meanwhile, the Nest Innovation Technology Park is implementing it.

NICE will connect entrepreneurship support organisations (ESOs), research institutions, startups, and government agencies through a coordinated national innovation network.

Nigeria’s startup ecosystem continues to expand across fintech, agritech, healthtech, and cybersecurity. However, many founders still struggle with limited collaboration, funding gaps, and weak long-term support.

According to the organisers, many incubators, accelerators, research centres, and innovation hubs still work independently. As a result, they often duplicate efforts and limit opportunities for startups.

NICE aims to solve that problem. It will create a structured, data-driven network that encourages collaboration, knowledge sharing, and stronger coordination across the ecosystem.

“Today, we are moving from celebrating isolated pockets of brilliance to engineering a collective national engine for growth,” said Oluwajoba Oloba, co-founder of The Nest Innovation Technology Park.

“NICE provides architecture to unify our myriad of ESOs and startups, allowing them to function like a coordinated army of ants. We are not just launching a programme; we are activating the connective tissue Nigeria’s economy has long demanded,” he added.

The organisations developed the initiative using insights from the 2025 UK Digital Trade and Innovation Tour. The UK-Nigeria Tech Hub organised the tour with the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI).

They said NICE adapts successful global innovation cluster models to Nigeria’s needs. In particular, it targets youth unemployment and low startup survival rates.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, more than 53% of young Nigerians are underemployed. In addition, fewer than 10% of startups survive beyond their third year.

The pilot programme will focus on four priorities. First, it will map and formalise innovation clusters across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. Second, it will encourage knowledge exchange between Nigerian and UK innovation ecosystems.

Third, it will support collaborative product development. Finally, it will establish governance structures that allow clusters to operate independently after the pilot phase.

The programme will also prioritise agritech, cybersecurity, and healthtech. Consequently, innovation hubs across different regions will be able to share expertise, resources, and best practices.

According to the organisers, NICE will improve startup access to incubation and acceleration services. Instead of limiting support by location, it will connect innovation hubs through a national exchange network.

The pilot phase begins on July 6, 2026. Therefore, the organisers have invited entrepreneurship support organisations, research institutions, and other ecosystem stakeholders to participate.

Earlier this year, the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub launched the Creative Fund. The initiative supports Nigeria’s film, fashion, and music industries. It also aims to strengthen digital production capacity, encourage the adoption of modern creative technologies, and promote the responsible use of artificial intelligence.