NITDA backs startups through iHatch funding programme
What's the deal? Nigeria's National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → are running iHatch, a free five-month incubation programme that pairs seed funding with mentorship for early-stage founders. It was developed with NITDADealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI)Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and now operates across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Where the money goes: Unlike a straight grant scheme, iHatch combines coaching, boot camps, and business development support with cash. At Cohort 3, three startups shared $37,000: NorthinhoDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → took the top $15,000 prize, Dorpals TechnologiesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → received $12,000, and ConnectedDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → received $10,000.
The track record: JICA says the first phase drew roughly 5,000 applications, from which eight companies were selected and supported through investor connections and progress-tied financial assistance. NITDA says an earlier pilot generated more than 117 direct and 370 indirect jobs.
The bigger bet: The partners are building infrastructure around the pipeline. In April 2025, JICA signed a grant agreement to establish a dedicated startup hub in Abuja, with a maximum grant of ¥1.634 billion. The facility will include equipment and spaces for startup creation and collaboration, and NITDA has outlined plans for makerspace infrastructure to help founders turn ideas into products.
What's the endgame? NITDA is positioning iHatch as more than a competition — a pipeline to identify founders, strengthen their businesses, and connect them with capital. The agency says it is also working with JICA to link Nigerian startups to Japan's technology ecosystem and international opportunities.
The signal: Foreign development capital is increasingly flowing into African startup ecosystems through structured incubation rather than one-off grants. For Nigeria, pairing seed cash with mentorship, physical infrastructure, and cross-border investor access is a bet that the next breakout company needs a foundation, not just a prize.
Read more: Southern Robin
Image credit: Jeff Attaway
