Gregory Ibe Jr has been the managing director of Innov8 Hub, a leading centre for engineering and product development in Nigeria. He possesses extensive experience in bridging the gap between technical ideation and commercialisation, driving a narrative of home-grown industrialisation. In this interview with Gift Wada, he spoke about the critical infrastructure deficits hindering local production and the systemic challenges facing the Nigerian startup ecosystem. He stressed on the opportunities within “African Design,” asserting that with the right infrastructure, Nigeria’s tech solutions can scale globally, far beyond the reach of its cultural exports. Excerpts:
What specific gap in the Nigerian innovation ecosystem led to the creation of Innov8 Hub? What were the core problems you identified?
It’s a broad challenge because Nigeria’s hurdles are multifaceted. It dates back to our heavy reliance on imported solutions, many of which aren’t even fit for our specific purpose. Because we are so import-reliant, we haven’t built the necessary ecosystem to allow local production to flow. If you look at industrial provinces in China, for example, if a region is known for furniture, you’ll find the glue makers, the wood suppliers, and every ancillary service nearby. In Nigeria, we lack that synergy. We created Innov8 Hub as a “one-stop shop” to provide all the services needed to move from an idea to a physical product. Our driving force is simple: we have the human capital; we just need to empower it strategically.
Nigeria has a high volume of startups. From your experience, what separates those that scale successfully from those that fail?
The African ecosystem is very different from the West. In the US or Europe, you see “pre-revenue” companies raising millions of dollars based on a pitch. You can almost never do that here. In Nigeria, you have to be on the cusp of actual value. The mistake many entrepreneurs make is not understanding what a “true Nigerian startup” looks like. We focus on channeling people toward creating immense value first. Many mistakes happen during the funding stage because founders don’t realize that the journey to the “big leagues” requires a different kind of resilience and a much more polished value proposition than what is required elsewhere.
Beyond providing a workspace, what value do you add to the entrepreneurs who come through your doors?
Quite frankly, workspace is the least valuable thing we provide. Anyone can provide a desk and Wi-Fi. What differentiates Innovate Hub is our capacity to actually bring ideas to life. We have the engineers, the scientists, the support teams, and the technical hardware to drive a solution from ideation to commercialization. It’s an arduous journey, and people often underestimate how long it takes to move a product to market. We don’t just talk; we build.
What key qualities are investors looking for in Nigerian startups today? How should a founder “package” themselves?
It depends entirely on the investor’s appetite. Some focus solely on the sector, some care only about the product, and others, the more seasoned ones, often care more about the founder than the product itself. One of our features at the Hub is aligning founders with the right type of investor. You could send 100 requests and get 100 “nos,” but it might just be because you’re talking to the wrong people. Taking money from the wrong investor can actually destroy a business by leading it down a path that doesn’t align with its original goals.
Which sectors in Nigeria do you believe are currently underserved but full of opportunity?
Every sector is underserved. You hear leaders like Aliko Dangote speak constantly about the infrastructure deficit. Imagine what we could unlock if we had consistent electricity. Our solutions are currently trying to compete with countries that have basic amenities. If you give a Nigerian entrepreneur electricity and good roads, imagine the value they could create. This is why I tell young Nigerians to stay here and solve our problems, because the problems are exactly where the opportunities lie.
If you could advocate for one policy to accelerate innovation, what would it be?
The government is taking steps in the right direction regarding the innovation ecosystem. While the currency devaluation is painful, it’s a slow process toward building a productive economy. A “strong” currency isn’t always good for a country that wants to export; it makes your products too expensive for the global market. The most important thing now is building a community of innovation hubs. The government has put together funding to create hubs like ours across the country, and as these come online, we will see a shift.
You are approaching five years of operation as a non-profit. How do you sustain this, and what are your success stories?
We are backed by our sister company, SkillG, which has been around for 30 years, and we have a private university in Abia. We also have partners who fund specific programs through us. Regarding impact, we prefer to “show” rather than “tell.” We use our YouTube and social media platforms to showcase the tangible products we’ve helped create. We want to prove that African design is about more than just music; it’s about real-world engineering solutions. We are also catching them young, running cohorts for children and young adults to get their hands dirty
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