In another significant step to bolster support for the growth of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) within Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem, the Development Bank of Nigeria Plc (DBN) has further empowered three tech start-ups with N13 million grants to scale their businesses.
The three beneficiaries emerged winners in a competitive idea pitch session that featured seven tech innovators during the fourth edition of the bank’s annual flagship tech event, the 2025 DBN Techpreneur Summit 4.0, with the theme: ‘CTRL+SHIFT Tech Empowered Movement for Naija’, which held in Lagos recently.
BuyScrap, an e-waste tech start-up, came first and got N6 million. QiqiFarms, an agritech start-up, received N4 million for emerging as the first runner-up, while Enugu-based Ecocyclers, a plastic waste-to-resource tech start-up, got N3 million as the second runner-up. A panel of judges comprising eminent industry leaders and experts judged the winners.
Managing Director/CEO, Development Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Tony Okpanachi, in his welcome address, said the Summit was not just an event but a celebration of innovation, collaboration, and the bold spirit of Nigerian entrepreneurship, enthusing that over the years, the DBN Techpreneur Summit has evolved into a movement — a tech-empowered movement for Naija.
“Our theme this year, symbolises more than just a keyboard command. It represents a bold pivot — a strategic reset, powered by technology, to reimagine and rebuild the future of business in Nigeria,” he stated. “It is a rallying cry for us to take control, initiate a shift, and chart a new course where technology serves as the backbone of inclusive and sustainable growth.”
Okpanachi reiterated that since 2017, DBN has remained steadfast in its commitment to empowering MSMEs across Nigeria by providing innovative financing models to foster partnerships, build capacity, and now championing tech-driven entrepreneurship, stressing that DBN has also walked this journey with resilience and purpose, while noting that the Techpreneur Summit is a testament to the DBN’s unwavering commitment to MSMEs growth.
“From the Digital Shift workshops to the Eco-Innovation Challenge, we are embedding sustainability, scalability, and impact into the DNA of Nigerian tech ventures,” he further said, stating that DBN has over the years continued to “switch gears to focus more on strategies for increasing financing in Nigeria’s tech industry.
