NASENI Launches Xceler8 Accelerator for Nigerian Innovators

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has launched Xceler8, a three-month virtual accelerator designed to help Nigerian innovators move functional prototypes and early commercial products towards wider market adoption.  

The programme was announced at NASENI's Innovation Hub in Abuja and is being implemented with AfriLabs, a pan-African network of technology and innovation hubs. The first cohort will comprise 25 post-MVP innovators who have moved beyond the idea stage and can demonstrate evidence of customer demand.

Closing the Commercialisation Gap

NASENI Executive Vice Chairman Khalil Suleiman Halilu said the programme responds to a gap between developing an innovative product and successfully taking it to market.

Nigeria has a large pool of engineers and scientists, but promising technologies can struggle to progress from prototypes to commercially sustainable businesses. Xceler8 is therefore focused on companies that already have a functional product and some evidence of market traction.The programme will focus on areas including business development, product refinement, technical mentorship, market access and investor readiness. Participants will receive acceleration support valued at up to $25,000, with selected ventures also able to pitch to investors, industry representatives and policymakers at a Demo Day in Abuja.

AfriLabs Partnership

AfriLabs will implement the programme through its network of more than 540 innovation hubs across 54 African countries, providing access to mentors, investors and potential corporate partners. NASENI plans to run four Xceler8 cohorts over the next year, with a target of 100 post-MVP innovators. The accelerator forms part of a wider pathway within NASENI's innovation ecosystem, linking its HatchBox programme and Innovation Hub with the NASENI Campus and potential industrial opportunities.

How it Works

The programme is open to Nigerian citizens aged 15 to 40 who are living in Nigeria and operating a registered Nigerian company. Applicants must have a functional prototype or commercially available product and evidence of at least five paid transactions. Eligible sectors include agrotech, renewable energy, fintech, edtech, healthtech and manufacturing. 

Applications opened on 31 August 2026 and will remain open until 30 September 2026 through NASENI's innovation portal.

Targets for the First Year

NASENI expects the four cohorts to support 100 innovators, refine 100 MVPs and generate at least 400 direct and indirect jobs. For the first cohort, the agency is targeting 100 direct and indirect jobs and five strategic partnerships.

The programme's focus on companies that already have products and paying customers distinguishes it from early-stage programmes aimed at developing ideas or building initial prototypes. Its progress will ultimately depend on whether participating businesses can convert that early traction into sustained revenue, partnerships and investment.

Xceler8 is part of NASENI's broader effort to connect research and engineering capabilities with commercial activity, with the agency seeking to move more locally developed technologies from prototype development into businesses capable of contributing to Nigeria's industrial and technology sectors.