Seven Women, Seven Innovations: InnovateNaija’s Role in Nigeria’s Tech Story

For years, conversations about Nigeria’s technology ecosystem have centred on the scale of the industry, the growth of startups, and the young people building the next generation of solutions. But there is another part of that story that deserves greater attention: the women building too.

Seven women were among the 15 finalists of the InnovateNaija Challenge, a national technology and innovation competition led by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), in partnership with AfriLabs and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development. Coming from different parts of the country and working across diverse fields, these women built solutions that go far beyond the idea of simply participating in technology. They designed, engineered, and developed products responding to real problems in healthcare, agriculture, energy, environmental sustainability, and everyday life.

A Historic Victory for Agricultural Hardware

The national pitch event, held October 6, 2026, saw all 15 finalists present physical prototypes before industry experts, global investors, and policymakers. Emerging as the overall grand prize winner of ₦100 million was Abia State innovator Adaeze Ruth Akpagbula, co-founder of Farm Speak, for her PenKeep Smart Poultry Climate Control System.

Designed to help farmers manage climate-related challenges across poultry, aquaculture, greenhouse, and smart irrigation systems, PenKeep demonstrates how deep tech can be applied to fundamental agricultural challenges. For Akpagbula, who identified funding, infrastructure, and electricity as major hurdles for hardware innovators in Nigeria, the ₦100 million award will help expand her company’s production capacity and enable the technology to reach more farmers.

Akpagbula’s top finish was part of a larger showing by female innovators across the competition. Among the seven female finalists was Kemisola Bolarinwa from Ekiti State, whose innovation, the Smart Bra Cup Diagnostic Device, explores the use of technology in breast health. Her work demonstrates how engineering can be directly applied to healthcare challenges that have historically received limited attention.

The women of InnovateNaija tackled broad issues across multiple sectors. Elizabeth Chioma Chiketarauba of Imo State developed Torquenova, an electric vehicle and main power generator that can be recharged using an in-built solar-powered system or mains supply, bringing together mobility, energy, and renewable technology.

Rita Idehai of Edo State developed an Automated Reverse Vending Machine, applying technology to waste management and environmental sustainability.

Chinyere Esther Onwumelu of Nasarawa State created a Gas-Level Monitoring and Community Gas Metering System, addressing energy access and accountability.

Khadija Adamu Dandada of Kano State developed the Shepall App, demonstrating the role digital solutions can play in addressing practical everyday needs.

Miriam Ashiemar Agbo of Benue State created the Anatsor Integrated Poultry Management System, applying technology to agricultural productivity and livestock management.

And Adaeze Ruth Akpagbula of Abia State developed PenKeep, advancing smart poultry climate control and ultimately earning the top spot on the national stage.

A Technology Story That Includes Women

Their stories matter far beyond the competition itself. Nigeria’s technology sector needs innovators who can identify problems, build solutions, and take concepts from an idea to a tangible product. The presence and eventual victory of female innovators among the InnovateNaija finalists provides a clear reminder that Nigerian women are already contributing to high-impact innovation.

These finalists are engineers, inventors, developers, and problem-solvers. Their innovations span different sectors, states, and use cases. What connects them is not simply the problems they are solving, but the fact that they are building solutions themselves.

Creating Room for the Next Generation of Women Builders

Platforms such as InnovateNaija play an important role in creating more room for this kind of innovation. Led by NASENI alongside AfriLabs and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the challenge gave grassroots innovators a national stage to showcase their work and access opportunities for funding, technical expertise, manufacturing support, and scale.

Beyond the cash prizes, which included a ₦100 million grand prize alongside ₦30 million and ₦20 million grants for the runners-up, all 15 finalists gained long-term access to advanced manufacturing tools and infrastructure across NASENI’s nationwide technology institutes.

Most importantly, Adaeze Akpagbula’s victory and the work of her fellow female finalists give young Nigerian girls something tangible to see. A student with an idea can look at InnovateNaija and see that she does not have to wait for someone else to build the future. She can build it herself, and she can win.

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