DBN Awards N13m in Grants to Tech Entrepreneurs

Nume Ekeghe

The Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has awarded N13 million in grants to three outstanding startups as part of its 2025 Techpreneur Summit in Lagos, to further strengthen its push to foster innovation among Nigerian Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

BuyScrap, a leading digital platform for recyclable materials, received N6 million, Qiqi Farms, which connects local farmers to hospitality and export markets, was awarded N4 million and Eco-Cyclers, a youth-led recycling initiative based in Enugu, earned N3 million for its environmental impact.

Also, the bank in a significant move to drive data-driven policy and impact investing in Nigeria’s micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) ecosystem, launched a comprehensive digital data asset designed to provide insights into the needs, trends, and growth trajectories of small businesses across the country.

In his opening remarks, DBN Managing Director/CEO, Tony Okpanachi, said the summit’s theme: ‘CTRL+SHIFT: Tech Empowered Movement for Naija’, is more than just a keyboard command, but a strategic call to rethink the future of enterprise development in Nigeria.

He said: “It represents a bold pivot a strategic reset, powered by technology, to reimagine and rebuild the future of business in Nigeria. It is a rallying cry for us to take control, initiate a shift, and chart a new course where technology serves as the backbone of inclusive and sustainable growth.”

Okpanachi reiterated that since its inception in 2017, DBN has maintained a focus on empowering Nigeria’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through financing, capacity building, and now, innovation.

He said: “This year’s Summit aligns seamlessly with our AMPLIFI strategy. From the digital shift workshops to the Eco-Innovation Challenge, we are embedding sustainability, scalability, and impact into the DNA of Nigerian tech ventures.”

Encouraging the winners and other young innovators in attendance, Okpanachi said: “The future belongs to those who are bold enough to imagine and build it. DBN is proud to provide this platform where your ideas can be seen, supported, and scaled.”

A major highlight of the event was the unveiling of the DBN Data Asset, a digital platform designed to offer real-time insights into the MSME landscape, helping regulators, banks, investors, and development actors make informed decisions based on evidence and impact data.

DBN’s Head of Strategy, Policy and Innovation, Jeremy Dan Okayi, described the platform as “a reservoir of insight, potential, and direction,” adding that it reflects years of collaboration and research.

“This journey, which began two years ago, has been one of dedication, collaboration, and a shared vision: to illuminate the path for Nigerian micro and small enterprises using the power of data,” Okayi said.

According to him, the platform aggregates DBN’s internal data with external sources like the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to create a rich portrait of MSME performance and needs across regions and sectors.

 “We are transforming that heartbeat into a symphony one that enables informed policymaking, targeted interventions, and inclusive growth,” he said.

He praised the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) for its continued support of innovation and inclusive entrepreneurship. Okayi urged stakeholders across the ecosystem to fundamentally rethink how innovation is financed and scaled in Nigeria, while challenging startup founders to channel their talents toward transformative impact.

According to him, “To the brilliant tech founders who will be pitching their ideas today: this is your moment. The future belongs to those who are bold enough to imagine and build it. Your creativity, your passion, and your courage are exactly what Nigeria needs to move forward. DBN is proud to provide this platform where your ideas can be seen, supported, and scaled.

“Let me close by saying this: Nigeria is teeming with potential. Our youth are not waiting for change; they are creating it, and DBN is committed to amplifying your voices, supporting your dreams, and investing in your future.

“So, let us CTRL + SHIFT, together. Let us take charge. Let us rewrite the narrative. Let us lead the tech-empowered movement for Nigeria.”

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    Yilwatda: Tinubu Has Directed Me To Work With Ganduje

    Yilwatda: Tinubu Has Directed Me To Work With Ganduje

    Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has said that President Bola Tinubu has directed him to work closely with the former National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje. 

    Yilwatda, who described himself as a coordinator of the APC for now, added that he would depend heavily on  Ganduje’s experience and knowledge to run the party. 

    This was even as Ganduje said his relationship with Yilwatda is cordial.

    While speaking on Wednesday in Abuja during a condolence visit paid him over the loss of his mother by Ganduje, Yilwatda declared that he would need experience, guidance and the learning curve of Ganduje. 

    His words: “His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked me to work with you, to reach out to you as well about partnership. I told him I would regard you still as a chairman in partnership with me. You are still the co-chairman of the party (APC). 

    “I am only a coordinator. My duty is simply to coordinate the membership of this party. But the party belongs to all of us. We are all collective leaders of the party. 

    “My doors are open, the office is open, the partnership remains open, and the friendship remains open. So never lock your door against me—and I know you will not—because we have worked together long before this time.

    “Moreover, by experience and by virtue of politics, you have been there long before me. Since the time of the NPN, you have been part of the political scene.

    “At that time, I was only in primary school. I recall that we used to see Governor Rimi come to Jos in the 70s and 80s to visit Solomon Lar. One day, he came to commission a project at my school. I was just in Form 2, waving at them along with my classmates — I never knew what politics truly meant. By then, people like you had already mastered the ropes of politics, while we didn’t even know the definition of politics.

    “So I need your experience. I need your guidance. The learning curve still rests with you. I will depend heavily on your experience, your connections, and your contacts to ensure we solidify this party and build it together, so that we can win more elections.” 

    Earlier, the former Kano State governor said his relationship with the new national chairman should be a good example between a successor and predecessor. 

    According to him, “One important thing is that the problem between successor and his predecessor which is one of the issues that APC has solved. So in order to show examples, I am sure you know that since 1999, the problem between former governors and their successors has always been an issue up till now in many states of the federation. 

    “Not only in governorship , but in other positions, especially in politics. So our relationship is the beginning to solve that kind of problem. Not only in APC but in the whole atmosphere of democracy. I have to congratulate you for this new appointment.”

    The post Yilwatda: Tinubu Has Directed Me To Work With Ganduje appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

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    Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has said that President Bola Tinubu has directed him to work closely with the
    The post Yilwatda: Tinubu Has Directed Me To Work With Ganduje appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

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