CITIZENS COMPASS— IHS Nigeria has reinforced its commitment to promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable development in Nigeria. The company stated this, at the Innovation Makers Challenge (IMC) 2.0, held last Thursday, at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The event, which was organised by the Telecommunications and Technology Sustainability Working Group (TTSWG) and sponsored by IHS Nigeria brought together innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, corporate leaders and other ecosystem stakeholders to explore opportunities for advancing innovation and building sustainable, scalable enterprises in Nigeria.
Speaking on behalf of IHS Nigeria during his keynote address at the conference, Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Services Officer, Dapo Otunla, highlighted the critical role of connectivity, infrastructure and capacity-building in transforming ideas into sustainable economic opportunities.
Dapo noted that while connectivity infrastructure provides an important foundation for economic participation, its true value is realised when it translates into opportunities for people and businesses.
“Our towers, our fiber networks, and our in-building solutions are the backbone that helps to keep over 130 million Nigerian mobile subscribers connected every single day. Infrastructure on its own, however, is only half of the story. Connectivity means little if it does not translate into opportunity,” he said.
He further highlighted IHS Nigeria’s commitment to investing in people, infrastructure and initiatives that help entrepreneurs develop the knowledge and capabilities required to build sustainable businesses.
Reflecting on IHS Nigeria’s involvement in the Innovation Makers Challenge, Dapo noted that the initiative has evolved significantly since its first edition, which attracted close to 800 participants, with 17 solutions eventually taking the stage and three receiving seed funding and partnerships.
According to him, the Innovation Makers Challenge represents the intersection between infrastructure and imagination, connectivity and capability, helping to address the gap between having an idea and knowing how to develop it into a viable enterprise.
“Education is one of the most powerful forms of economic empowerment that is available to us. When entrepreneurs are equipped with the right knowledge, they build stronger and sustainable businesses. They create employment, develop other people, make smarter decisions and scale responsibly,” he added.
In his opening remarks, the TTSWG Secretariat Lead, Mr. Bankole Oloruntoba, acknowledged IHS Nigeria’s continued support for the activities of TTSWG and its contribution to the Innovation Makers Challenge.
“I would like to appreciate IHS Nigeria, who have been very strong in all the activities of TTSWG, and have also increased the capacity and the capability of the IMC event.” Bankole said.
The Director, Sustainability, IHS Nigeria, Titilope Oguntuga, who participated in a fireside chat at the event, shared her insights on Africa’s climate and sustainability technology ecosystem, exploring how promising innovations can move beyond the pilot stage to become bankable, commercially viable and scalable businesses.
Titilope emphasized the importance of demonstrating tangible business value when developing and financing sustainability solutions. She explained that for corporates, sustainability investments must increasingly demonstrate measurable economic, environmental and social value.
Using IHS Towers decarbonisation initiatives as an example, she noted that the company’s approach to sustainability is driven not only by environmental considerations but also by the need to create operational and financial value.
“It is more a business imperative than the right thing to do for us,” Titilope said, noting that IHS Towers efforts to reduce fossil fuel consumption contributed to a reduction in its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions intensity, driven by increased grid connectivity and supplemental solutions at on-grid sites.
She further highlighted the importance of leveraging existing infrastructure to support innovation and accelerate sustainable development, noting that organisations should explore how existing assets can be repurposed to support emerging technologies and create broader value across the ecosystem.
In discussing the role of corporates in supporting local climate and sustainability technology companies, Titilope encouraged innovators to focus on solving specific business challenges rather than simply presenting technologies.
“Come pitching a solution, and how do you pitch that solution? Think about one major challenge that an organisation is looking to solve,” she said.
The conference also featured discussions on nurturing innovation ecosystems, incubation and mentorship, climate financing, blended finance, market access and the role of corporations in supporting emerging enterprises.
The highlight of the event was a pitch session where five innovators and early- and mid-stage startups working across different areas including health, agriculture, education and climate change, were provided with a platform to demonstrate the viability and potential of their solutions.
The top three finalists of the pitch session received a combined sum of N9.5 million to support their growth. Agrovesto, an Agritech company powering growth for African farmers through a digital ecosystem, received N6 million as the overall winner in 1st place, while Blue Sands STEM Labs, a virtual learning platform designed to inspire learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) placed 2nd and received N2 million. QiqiFarms, a start-up brand using technology to scale up the production of local and organic food products, was awarded N1.5 million as the third-place winner.
The Vice Chairperson of the TTSWG Board, Dr. Wunmi Hassan also expressed appreciation to IHS Nigeria for its role in making the event possible.
“On behalf of the TTSWG, we want to say thank you to IHS Nigeria. If not for IHS Nigeria, we wouldn’t be here.” She said.
This partnership reflects IHS Nigeria’s broader commitment to enabling sustainable development by supporting people, ideas and initiatives capable of creating lasting economic and social impact.
Through its continued investments in digital infrastructure, sustainability, education and enterprise development, the company remains committed to supporting an ecosystem where innovation can translate into stronger businesses, employment opportunities, resilient communities and sustainable development.
