Lokoja, Kogi State — 27th July, 2026
Kogi Innovation Hub (KINHUB) held a landmark meeting on Friday, 24th July 2026, with the Honourable Commissioner; Dr. Helen Adeniyi of the Kogi State Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and the Director General; Dr. Bashir Tenuche of the Kogi Information and Communication Technology Development Agency (KICTDA), at the Ministry’s office in Lokoja. The meeting marks a significant step toward formalising a state government partnership around KINHUB’s innovation pipeline for Kogi State.
A Pipeline Built for Kogi’s Innovators
At the meeting, the KINHUB team represented by it’s Strategy and Content Lead, ItopaKing David presented a comprehensive proposal outlining a three-stage innovation pipeline designed to discover, develop, and showcase homegrown talent across the state:
Kogi Innovation Hackathon (KINHACK) — a multi-university hackathon inviting student and early-career innovators to build solutions across five priority sectors: AgriTech, EdTech, HealthTech, FinTech, and GovTech.
A Two-Month Incubation Programme — a structured track for the strongest teams emerging from KINHACK, offering mentorship, curriculum support, and milestone-based progress reviews.
Kogi Tech Week — a flagship, week-long event bringing together a conference, an exhibition, masterclasses, the Kogi Digital Awards, a pitch competition, and a Demo Day for graduating startups.
The proposal also outlined a request for the Ministry and KICTDA to come on board as it’s Official Host Partners, providing venues, cross-government coordination, official endorsement, amongst other request towards the success of the Kogi Tech Week.
L-R: Dr. Bashir Tenuche (DG, KICTDA), Dr. Helen Adeniyi (Honourable Commissioner, KMIST), Mr. ItopaKing David (Strategy Lead, KINHUB)
A Warm and Encouraging Reception
The proposal was met with genuine enthusiasm from both the Ministry and KITDA. Both parties affirmed the importance of building a structured innovation ecosystem for Kogi State’s youth and expressed strong support for KINHUB’s approach — one rooted in discovering talent locally, developing it through real mentorship, and celebrating it on a public stage.
There was clear alignment on the value this pipeline could bring: a visible, repeatable programme that strengthens the state’s digital economy credentials, creates pathways to jobs and entrepreneurship for young people, and positions Kogi as an innovation destination within the North-Central region and beyond.
What Comes Next
Following the successful meeting, KINHUB will be working closely with the Ministry and KICTDA to finalise partnership terms, confirm venues and dates, and move toward formal documentation ahead of KINHACK’s launch. The team is energised by the government’s openness and is looking forward to translating this support into action.
KINHUB extends its sincere appreciation to the Honourable Commissioner and the Director General for their time, insight, and belief in this vision for Kogi State.
Stay tuned for upcoming announcements on KINHACK registration, the Incubation Programme, and Kogi Tech Week.
