Founder of the Bolaji Abdulrauf Foundation, Hon. Abdulrauf Bolaji Dauda (Hon. BJ), has sponsored four Kwara State innovators to the NextGen Innovation Challenge (NGIC) 2026 International Grand Finale held in London, United Kingdom.
The event, organized by Nigeria’s National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) under Director-General Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji in partnership with the UK Association of Leaders and Development (UKALD) took place on Friday, October 9 at the Platinum Suite, ExCeL London, under the theme “From Nigerian Ingenuity to Global Impact.”
The global summit featured 298 finalists selected from over 2,900 applicants across Nigeria.
Highlighting the journey, Abdulrauf disclosed that the local talent search originated in Offa, Kwara State, before advancing to the national showcase in Abuja on August 9, 2026 and culminating in the London global pitch.
“Everything started from Offa here in Kwara State when we called young guys who have ideas to come around so we could see what they have and how we can actually make their ideas become realities,” Abdulrauf stated, noting that the foundation provided technical guidance, expertise, and financial backing.
Among the Kwara-linked innovations presented to international investors were Safe-Move, a tech-enabled asset and vehicular security system, and Agrinexus, an agricultural management platform connecting farmers directly to buyers while curbing farm intrusions.
The international sponsorship builds on the foundation’s earlier N10 million donation to the NBTI NGIC 2026 program.
Abdulrauf called on federal and state governments, development partners, and private investors to scale support for youth-driven tech ventures, emphasizing that sustainable investments in grassroots innovation remain critical to national development and job creation.
