The Nigeria Innovation Summit 2022 with the theme: Re-imaging Innovation, organized by InnovationHub Africa, and held on October 4-8, 2022 was successfully concluded with the participation of delegates and stakeholders across the globe, who participated in the event.
The Summit in its 7th year is an annual event that brings together stakeholders from different sectors of Nigeria’s economy, governments, investors, policymakers, and players in the tech and innovation ecosystem to discuss ground-breaking ideas, trends, and opportunities to innovate solutions that solve unique challenges within Nigeria, and the African continent at large.
This year’s Summit was a one-week event dedicated to promoting innovation in all sectors of the economy in Nigeria.
The highlights of the summit were the Nigeria Innovations Experience Talks (NiX Talks) featuring innovators in different fields and subsets of Nigeria’s economy who showcased their innovations; the novel Innovation Tour to highly innovative organizations and experience centers to deepen the conversation and relationship with those bringing true innovation and disruption into the Nigerian innovation ecosystem.
Other features were fireside chats, panel discussions/interactive session innovative showcases and exhibitions, and keynote presentations which Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, the EVC, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi DG, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) delivered.
We also had expert insights on emerging technologies and new technologies unveiling. Some of the speakers and panelists include Deepankar Rustagi, Founder, OmniBiz Africa; Ayodeji Balogun, CEO of AFEX; Lanre Ogungbe, CEO IdentityPass; Kenneth Okolie, CEO of SYNLAB Nigeria; Olamidun Majekodunmi – Country Director, Nexford University; Oyin Johnson – Senior Legal & Compliance Counsel, The Room; Victoria Fabunmi – Head of Investments, Growth Capital Fund by CcHub; Greene Apaokagi Maryam (Taaooma), a comedian & content creator; Mark Slade, Co-Founder of Jara Resort, and others.
The crowning of the Nigerian Innovation Summit (NIS) 2022, was the Nigeria Innovation Awards Night (NIAN) 2022. The Nigeria Innovation Awards recognises and awards key innovators at the forefront of the Nigerian Innovation landscape, as well as disruptors bringing positive and empirical impacts as well as progressive solutions to unique challenges.
The submissions from the 2022 NIS Awards prove that there is a need to build innovative business solutions, and develop an ecosystem in Nigeria across all sectors to drive innovation by promoting local content development, and locally-relevant technological solutions to impact significantly on the socio-economic development of Nigeria so that local innovation can solve local issues.
Of the hundreds nominated for the Nigerian Innovation Awards 2022, only eight organisations and individuals emerged as worthy recipients of this year’s awards, given their impressive track record of innovatively tackling problems and measurable impacts in keeping the Nigerian innovation landscape sustainable, and have embraced innovation to move Nigeria forward through their works. And for the first time, individuals showcasing creative and innovative works in technology, art, and entertainment were recognised.
The 2022 NIAN awardees include Emergency Response Africa, Innovating in Healthcare Emergencies in Africa; Mr. Macaroni, Innovating in Entertainment; Omnibiz Africa, Innovating in B2B Retail Commerce; Pakam Technology Limited, Innovating in Waste Management in Nigeria; Space Finish, Innovating Workspaces of the Future; Quadloop, Innovating Renewable Energy; PWC Nigeria, Special Recognition for applying emerging technologies to build innovative indigenous solutions
The Nigeria Innovation Summit 2022 had in participation delegates from government agencies, diplomats, academic communities and research institutes, international organisations, investors, innovators, business/thought leaders, innovators, startups and students.
This year’s Summit received huge support from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); Microsoft Nigeria; The Nest; Union Bank; Nexford University; DoChase; PwC as partners, and was sponsored by IdentityPass, Omnibiz Africa, Synlab, The Room, AFEX, Bitmama, and KuCoin.