Foundational & Strategic Partnership Engagement Phase

Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Nigeria

Advancing innovation-driven employment, enterprise development, and sustainable economic growth in Nigeria through strategic partnerships and coordinated innovation frameworks.

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About CIE Nigeria

The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Nigeria is the Nigerian chapter of CIE Global, established to coordinate and scale innovation, entrepreneurship, and market-access initiatives aligned with Nigeria's development priorities.

CIE Nigeria focuses on leveraging innovation, entrepreneurship, technology, and partnerships to address critical national challenges, create economic opportunities, support enterprise growth, and strengthen Nigeria's competitiveness within regional and global markets.

Operating within CIE Global's coordination framework, CIE Nigeria serves as a national coordination and partnership platform, aligning government institutions, the private sector, innovators, investors, academia, and development partners around structured, impact-driven innovation and enterprise ecosystems.

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What We Do

CIE Nigeria operates as a strategic coordination and enablement platform for innovation- and enterprise-led development in Nigeria.

Ecosystem Coordination

Aligning innovation actors nationwide

Programme Design

Creating impact-driven initiatives

Strategic Partnerships

Facilitating multi-stakeholder collaboration

Enterprise Development

Supporting startups and SMEs

Talent Development

Building skills for future work

Innovation & Enterprise Ecosystem Coordination

Aligning diverse innovation actors within coherent national frameworks

CIE Nigeria aligns innovation hubs, universities, research institutions, enterprises, and public institutions within coherent national and sector-based frameworks to create a unified innovation ecosystem that drives sustainable economic growth.

Key Activities:
  • National Alignment: Creating cohesive frameworks connecting innovation actors across Nigeria
  • Sector-Based Coordination: Developing specialized ecosystems for key industries
  • Resource Optimization: Ensuring efficient use of resources across the innovation landscape
  • Policy Integration: Aligning ecosystem activities with national development priorities
Impact Areas:
  • Reduced fragmentation in Nigeria's innovation ecosystem
  • Enhanced collaboration between research and industry
  • Improved resource allocation for maximum impact
  • Stronger alignment with national economic development goals
Ecosystem Coordination

Programme & Initiative Design

Creating strategic programmes that translate innovation into enterprise growth

CIE Nigeria designs flagship initiatives and strategic programmes that translate innovation into enterprise growth, job creation, and measurable impact across Nigeria's priority sectors.

Design Principles:
  • Impact-Driven Design: Creating programmes focused on tangible socio-economic outcomes
  • Scalable Models: Developing initiatives that can scale across regions and sectors
  • Innovation Translation: Bridging the gap between research and commercial enterprise
  • Job Creation Focus: Designing programmes with explicit employment generation targets
Programme Types:
  • National innovation challenge funds
  • Sector-specific acceleration programmes
  • Regional enterprise development initiatives
  • Cross-border innovation partnerships
Programme Design

Institutional Coordination & Strategic Partnerships

Facilitating collaboration among diverse ecosystem actors

CIE Nigeria facilitates collaboration among government, private sector, development partners, and ecosystem actors through clear coordination and governance models that drive collective impact.

Partnership Models:
  • Multi-Stakeholder Engagement: Creating platforms for dialogue between diverse actors
  • Governance Frameworks: Establishing clear models for decision-making and accountability
  • Public-Private Partnerships: Facilitating structured government-private sector collaborations
  • International Linkages: Connecting Nigerian innovators with global networks
Collaboration Areas:
  • Joint research and development initiatives
  • Co-investment in innovation infrastructure
  • Shared capacity building programmes
  • Cross-sector innovation challenges
Strategic Partnerships

Enterprise Development & Market Access

Supporting startups, SMEs, and scale-ups to access opportunities

CIE Nigeria supports startups, SMEs, scale-ups, and high-growth enterprises to access markets, finance, partnerships, and scaling opportunities that drive business growth and job creation.

Support Services:
  • Market Linkages: Connecting enterprises with domestic and international opportunities
  • Finance Access: Facilitating connections with appropriate financing options
  • Scale-up Support: Providing specialized assistance for high-growth enterprises
  • Digital Transformation: Supporting adoption of digital technologies
Enterprise Stages:
  • Early-stage startups and ideation phase
  • Established SMEs seeking growth
  • Scale-ups ready for regional/international expansion
  • High-growth enterprises in priority sectors
Enterprise Development

Talent, Skills & Workforce Development

Building capabilities aligned with innovation-driven sectors

CIE Nigeria enables skills development, talent pipelines, and workforce readiness aligned with innovation-driven sectors and future-of-work needs, ensuring Nigeria has the human capital to drive its innovation economy.

Development Approaches:
  • Skills Gap Analysis: Identifying current and future skill requirements
  • Curriculum Development: Working with educational institutions on relevant programmes
  • Talent Pipeline Creation: Building pathways from education to employment
  • Lifelong Learning: Supporting continuous skill development
Focus Areas:
  • Digital and technology skills
  • Entrepreneurship and business management
  • Creative and design thinking
  • Sector-specific technical capabilities
Talent Development

Programmes & Initiatives

CIE Nigeria operates through a structured hierarchy of frameworks, initiatives, programmes, and projects, aligned with the CIE Global architecture and Nigeria's national priorities to drive measurable socio-economic impact.

Flagship National Frameworks

High-impact national programmes designed to drive innovation and entrepreneurship at scale, addressing Nigeria's most pressing economic challenges through coordinated ecosystem approaches with measurable outcomes.

Strategic Innovation Programmes

Targeted initiatives focused on specific sectors, technologies, or demographic groups to foster inclusive and sustainable growth with measurable socio-economic impact metrics and clear implementation roadmaps.

State-Level Initiatives

Locally tailored programmes addressing regional development priorities and opportunities across Nigeria's diverse states, leveraging unique local assets and addressing specific regional challenges.

Thematic Initiatives

Cross-cutting programmes addressing specific challenges like digital transformation, green economy, youth empowerment, women in innovation, or inclusive economic development with multi-stakeholder approaches.

Detailed programme and initiative pages will be published progressively as each enters its implementation phase, with transparency on objectives, partners, impact metrics, and participation opportunities.

Partnerships & Collaboration

CIE Nigeria collaborates with a diverse range of stakeholders to create scalable, inclusive, and sustainable impact across Nigeria's innovation ecosystem.

Our Partners

CIE Nigeria collaborates with:

  • Government ministries, departments, agencies, and sub-national authorities
  • Innovation hubs, universities, and research institutions
  • Corporations and private-sector organizations
  • Investors, donors, and development partners
  • Startup, SME, and entrepreneurial communities

Our Partnership Approach

  • Strategic and long-term
  • Aligned with Nigeria's development and employment priorities
  • Structured through clear coordination and shared governance
  • Focused on scalable, inclusive, and sustainable impact

CIE Nigeria welcomes partners interested in co-developing, supporting, or participating in structured innovation and enterprise initiatives that drive Nigeria's economic transformation.

National, Regional & Global Partnerships

Nigeria-Africa Collaboration
Fostering innovation and enterprise partnerships across the African continent through knowledge exchange and joint initiatives.

Nigeria-Global Partnerships
Connecting Nigerian innovators with global markets, investment opportunities, and international best practices.

Bilateral Initiatives
Country-to-country innovation, talent, and enterprise development programs with strategic international partners.

Multilateral Programs
Engaging with international organizations and development agencies for large-scale impact initiatives across Nigeria.

Unlock Opportunities with CIE Nigeria

Join our ecosystem of innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and partners driving Nigeria's economic transformation. Explore current opportunities for collaboration, funding, and participation in our groundbreaking initiatives that are shaping Nigeria's innovation future.

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Reach targeted audiences of innovators, entrepreneurs, and decision-makers through our platforms, events, and publications.

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Upcoming Events

Participate in innovation summits, pitch competitions, workshops, and networking events across Nigeria's innovation hubs.

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News & Insights

Stay updated with the latest trends, success stories, research findings, and opportunities in Nigeria's innovation ecosystem.

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Contact & Connect

CIE Nigeria welcomes strategic conversations and partnership inquiries from organizations and individuals aligned with our mission.

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Engagements and meetings are currently by appointment as part of CIE Nigeria's foundational and strategic partnership engagement phase. Please contact us to schedule a discussion.