NITDA Backs Startup South’s OffChart NXT Startup Challenge

What changed

NITDA has backed Startup South’s OffChart NXT Startup Challenge, scheduled for October 22 and 23 at the Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Rivers State. The 2026 application data show 142 applicants, with 53.5% reporting early commercial traction, while 66.2% had never raised external funding.

Why it matters

The numbers point to a familiar startup problem in unusually clear terms: building something people will pay for is not the same as having the money to grow it. Only eight applicants, or 5.6%, reported previous angel investment.

The geography is just as important. Of 137 Nigerian applications with an identifiable state, 76.6% came from outside Lagos and Abuja. Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Imo and Akwa Ibom were among the states represented, suggesting that the country’s startup pipeline is broader than its best-known hubs.

The sector mix also cuts against the idea that Nigerian startup activity is mainly a fintech story. Agriculture and agritech, education and edtech, and health and healthtech together made up 40.8% of applications. Financial services and fintech accounted for 10 applications.

That creates a practical test for NITDA’s backing. Public support could help founders reach capital, customers, technology, distribution and institutional partners, but the announced support does not yet specify funding, procurement, infrastructure or continuing programme assistance. For now, the clearest immediate value is visibility and access to a platform where businesses outside the usual centres can be assessed.

Startup South has mobilised approximately ₦13 million in prize money:

• ₦5 million for the Early Traction grand prize
• ₦10 million for the Early Growth grand prize
• ₦2 million Community Prize decided by public voting

FaceTag has added ₦3 million to the prize pool and will provide the two top-performing startups with three months of free transaction fees on its platform. Shortlisted founders have also completed about three weeks of training before the pitch sessions.

The more revealing outcome will be what happens after the prizes. A cheque can reward traction; it cannot by itself solve the harder work of distribution, repeat customers and expansion. OffChart NXT matters because its own application data suggest that many founders have already begun that work. The question now is whether the institutions around them can help turn early revenue into durable companies.