The Telecommunication and Technology Sustainability Working Group (TTSWG) Thursday announced the 2nd edition of its flagship conference and exhibition: the Innovators Makers Challenge (IMC) Conference & Innovation Exhibition, scheduled to hold on Thursday, 24 September, 2026 at Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The IMC conference and Innovation exhibition, sponsored by IHS Nigeria, will convene high level stakeholders from across Nigeria and globally including policymakers, captains of industry, investors, development partners, financial institutions, leading innovators and thought leaders across the technology ecosystem to unlock the limitless opportunities in Nigeria’s technology and telecommunications ecosystem, with a core focus on advancing sustainability.
Other partners include Hydrogen, Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC), Lagos Business School Sustainability Centre (LBSSC) and MTN.
The IMC Conference & Exhibition gained recognition as a premier innovation platform with more than 300 in-person attendees, 759 registrants, and 17 groundbreaking innovations showcased during the maiden edition, thereby catalysing a new wave of sustainability-driven entrepreneurship.
Three years after its maiden launch in 2023, IMC 2.0 returns bigger, bolder, and more impact-driven.
With an expanded scope, IMC 2.0 seeks to identify, support, and accelerate innovative solutions across multiple sectors that contribute to sustainable development and national competitiveness.
The sectors include AgriTech, EnergyTech, HealthTech, FinTech, Water Solution Technology, Waste & ClimateTech, Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies, Manufacturing & Industrial Innovation, Education, Infrastructure & Smart Cities, Creative Industries, Digital Governance & Civic Technology, Logistics & Mobility, and other technology-enabled sectors driving economic growth and social impact.
“TTSWG is not only building on the success of the 2023 edition, we are scaling up significantly this year. We have expanded IMC 2.0’s mandate to accelerate solution across HealthTech, FinTech, AgriTech, ClimateTech, AI, Manufacturing, Education, Infrastructure, Creative Industries, Digital Governance, and other technology-enabled sectors with proven market validation and measurable economic, social, and environmental impact,” Bankole Oloruntoba, Lead Consultant at TTSWG Secretariat said.
This year’s programme components include Go-to-Talent Competition.
The competition is open to young Nigerian innovators and entrepreneurs aged 18–35, growth-stage startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and tech and sustainability startups.
Others include the IMC Bootcamp: a 3-day mentorship programme featuring modules on business development, team building, finance, and pitching; Innovation Exhibition featuring startups and matured companies, and Business Clinics comprising legal and business consulting booths.
The Innovation Exhibition will feature over 20 startups, tech firms, research projects, and development organisations showcasing breakthrough solutions for sustainable development.
The spotlight will be on the IMC Quest Pitch Competition, where the top 5 growth-stage startups from the IMC Bootcamp will pitch their ideas to a panel of judges that will select the winners at the Conference.
The top three will receive ₦9,200,000 seed capital—Winner: ₦7,000,000; First Runner-up: ₦1,200,000; and Second Runner-up: ₦1,000,000.
Bankole remarked that to ensure accountability, maximise investment outcomes, and support long-term business growth, all winning startups will participate in a structured six-month post-competition incubation programme.
Other key highlights of the 2026 conference and exhibition include the launch of the Telecommunication and Technology Citizenship Awareness Roadmap (TATCAR) 2023–2026, capturing key updates and best practices driving responsible growth in the sector.
Startups, investors, corporates, and development partners interested in exhibiting, pitching, or attending can register free by clicking https://accesspal.co/innovationmakerschallenge
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