The YIL Fellowship
A four-month leadership and innovation development program that trains young professionals to inspire, initiate, manage, and lead innovation.
A four-month leadership and innovation development program that trains young professionals to inspire, initiate, manage, and lead innovation.
I created the Young Innovation Leaders (YIL) Fellowship in 2018 to raise a generation of Africans who can think boldly, create value, and lead transformative change in their fields.
The Fellowship is a four-month leadership and innovation development program that trains young professionals to inspire, initiate, manage, and lead innovation, turning bold ideas into sustainable solutions that make a real impact in their communities.
Through a blend of intensive training, mentorship, and practical innovation challenges, we equip participants with the skills and confidence to become catalysts of growth wherever they serve. Since its inception, YIL has trained fellows from 24 African countries, creating a thriving network of innovators and changemakers who are redefining the future of work and development across the continent.
Run under the Hutzpa Center for Innovation and Development, the program partners with organizations such as Plan International and Innov8 Hub to expand its reach and impact, inspiring a new wave of visionary African leaders.
A TETFund initiative designed to support researchers in commercializing their research , and engaging in innovative research. Emphasis is on mindset shift, innovative research designs, accelerated innovation, intellectual property rights, and prototyping.
As the Chief Facilitator and Program Manager of the Research for Impact (R4i) Initiative, I help researchers transform their academic findings into real-world innovations that address national and global challenges.
The R4i Initiative, an innovation-driven program of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), is implemented by Innov8 Hub to strengthen the capacity of Nigerian researchers in research commercialization, product development, and innovation leadership.
Through this initiative, I have mentored and trained over 1,500 lecturers and academics from public universities and polytechnics across Nigeria, equipping them with the mindset, tools, and strategies to turn their research into products, policies, and ventures that create measurable value.
My work in R4i focuses on bridging the gap between knowledge and impact: guiding scholars through structured processes of ideation, prototyping, intellectual property strategy, and venture creation to drive sustainable innovation within the higher education ecosystem.
Obichi PitchLab is designed to help final year researchers , translate their research projects into tangible societal value and launch them as startups and impact ventures.
I created Obichi PitchLab to help young innovators and final-year students bridge the gap between ideas and implementation — transforming academic projects and research findings into market-ready products and startups.
PitchLab is a hands-on learning and venture-building platform where participants learn how to identify real problems, validate ideas, build prototypes, and pitch for investment or incubation opportunities.
Each cycle combines mentorship, workshops, and practical assignments that guide participants from concept to launch, supported by a network of industry experts, investors, and coaches.
Through the program, I aim to nurture a generation of student innovators and early founders who can translate classroom ideas into enterprises that create jobs, solve local challenges, and contribute to Africa’s innovation economy.
A WIPO Nigeria initiative to help young innovators, entrepreneurs, and creators , understand how to use intellectual property (IP) as a tool for wealth creation, business growth, and sustainable development.
I designed and currently co-implement IP SALAYE (Intellectual Property Skill Acquisition Learning and Youth Empowerment) — a WIPO Nigeria initiative — to help young innovators, entrepreneurs, and creators understand how to use intellectual property (IP) as a tool for wealth creation, business growth, and sustainable development.
The initiative focuses on IP awareness, capacity building, and commercialization, empowering participants to identify, protect, and profit from their creative and innovative outputs.
Through interactive workshops, mentorship, and case-based learning, we demystify IP and show how it directly contributes to innovation, job creation, and national competitiveness.
IP SALAYE has trained hundreds of entrepreneurs, innovators, and students across Nigeria, equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to leverage IP rights, turning ideas into valuable assets and sustainable enterprises.
By helping young people see IP not as a legal formality but as a strategic tool for value creation, IP SALAYE is redefining the innovation mindset across Africa.
RECAP Fellowship helps researchers and innovators move from ideas to impact, transforming academic findings and scientific breakthroughs into products, policies, and ventures that solve real problems.
I created the RECAP Fellowship to help researchers and innovators move from ideas to impact, transforming academic findings and scientific breakthroughs into products, policies, and ventures that solve real problems.
Through RECAP, I mentor researchers to understand and apply the principles of research commercialization, intellectual property protection, and innovation management, helping them bring their work to market sustainably.
The program combines expert-led workshops, mentorship sessions, and commercialization labs that guide participants through identifying value, protecting it, and building ventures that drive economic and social growth.
RECAP is uniquely structured to reach researchers within their institutions, through on-site training workshops that engage faculty and research teams directly.
In addition, a 10-week online variant connects participants from multiple universities, offering an intensive and collaborative learning experience that fosters cross-institutional exchange and national impact.
By connecting academia with industry, RECAP builds a bridge between knowledge creation and value creation, cultivating a new generation of researcher-entrepreneurs who transform discovery into development and innovation into enterprise.
A TETFund initiative designed to equip researchers, entrepreneurs, and professionals , with the practical tools to transform ideas into innovative products and solutions that meet real-world needs.
I designed the Technology Innovation Workshop (TIW) to equip researchers, entrepreneurs, and professionals with the practical tools to transform ideas into innovative products and solutions that meet real-world needs.
The workshop provides hands-on training in innovation design, product development, intellectual property strategy, and commercialization, helping participants navigate the journey from concept to market.
Each session blends theory with practical exercises, mentorship, and case studies that build the capacity to design, prototype, and scale technology-driven innovations.
The on-site institutional workshops are tailored to the context and needs of each organization, while a national online edition brings together participants from diverse institutions for an immersive 8–10 week innovation experience.
Through TIW, my goal is to create a culture of innovation, value creation, and problem-solving within universities and organizations — inspiring people to think creatively, act boldly, and build solutions that matter.
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