The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority will on Saturday, December 10 2022, launch the maiden edition of the NSIA Prize for Innovation Programme (NPI).
The NPI programme which is to be launched at an event in Lagos is structured as a business enhancement programme to support early-stage, growth-driven ideas through education, mentorship, and financing.
The Programme is a strategy-based initiative of the NSIA Board which will run for at least three years. Through the NPI, innovators will be shortlisted and advanced into the competition.
These innovators will be put through a bootcamp known as the accelerator phase.
Of the 25, the top ten (10) innovators will be selected by a 5-man expert evaluation committee to partake in a pitch-session on demo day from which a winner will emerge.
The equity portion of the prize will be disbursed and monitored by one or more of the Authority’s venture capital partners, including ventures platforms, over the specified period. The disbursement period will be restricted to a maximum of six months post-competition.
The event would be attended by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu who will serve as special guest of honour.
Notable and respected digital ecosystem pundits will feature as guest speakers and panelists including Ms. Odunayo Eweniyi, Co-Founder and COO, Piggy Vest, Mr. Ralph Oluwole, Co-Founder, Helium Health, Mrs. Abimbola Olufore Wycliffe, Head, Investment and Technology Promotion Office, UNIDO, Mrs. Amal Hassan, MD/CEO, Outsource Global, Mr. Kola Aina, Founding Partner, Ventures Platform, Mr. Obi Emetarom, MD/CEO, Appzone Group, Dr. Chibuzo Opara, MD/CEO, Drugstoc, Mrs. Serah Makka-Ugbabge, Executive Director, One.org, Mr. Abayomi Awobokun, Co- Founder/ Partner – Orbit54, Mrs. Temi Awogboro, Co-Founder/Partner, New Lion Capital / Magic Fund and many more.
The Board and Management of the Authority will share their strategy for the technology sector in Nigeria and also provide context to the vision behind the NSIA Prize for Innovation. Key speakers from the NSIA team will include NSIA Non-Executive Director, Mr. Ikemefuna Isiekwena, NSIA Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Aminu Umar-Sadiq; NSIA Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer, Mr. Kola Owodunni and NSIA Executive Director, Operations and Corporate Service, Mrs. Olubisi Makoju.
