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In April 2025, Maiduguri became a meeting point for young innovators, creatives, entrepreneurs and changemakers from across Northeast Nigeria as Co-Development Hub hosted the Northeast Creativity and Innovation Summit 2025 (NECIS 2025).
Stepping Out and Innovating in Northeast Nigeria
Held under the theme “Step Out and Innovate,” the two-day summit created a platform for young people and ecosystem leaders to explore how creativity, technology and innovation can contribute to a stronger and more resilient Northeast.
The summit was held in Maiduguri on April 29 and 30, 2025, as part of activities marking World Creativity and Innovation Week. Rather than treating innovation as an abstract idea, NECIS 2025 focused on creating spaces where people could exchange knowledge, present ideas, build relationships and explore practical solutions to challenges facing the region.
A City-Wide Learning Experience
One of the distinctive features of the summit was its city-wide learning approach. The first day began with a Business Innovation Pitch Competition at Co-Development Hub, giving emerging innovators an opportunity to present their ideas and solutions.
The learning experience then extended beyond a single venue. Participants joined workshops and masterclasses hosted across innovation hubs and technology centres in Maiduguri, including sessions focused on artificial intelligence, digital storytelling, remote work, productivity and emerging opportunities within the creative economy.
This approach reflected an important principle behind the summit: innovation grows stronger when knowledge, people and opportunities are connected.
“Step out and innovate.”
Bringing Ideas, Creativity and Technology Together
NECIS 2025 brought together different parts of the region's growing innovation ecosystem. Young entrepreneurs, technology enthusiasts, creatives, development actors, academics and institutional leaders came together to examine how local talent can contribute to economic and social development.
Discussions throughout the summit highlighted the importance of practical innovation. Participants explored how technology can be applied to real challenges while also recognising the role of creativity, leadership and collaboration in turning ideas into sustainable solutions.
Celebrating the Region's Innovation Potential
The summit also provided a platform for startups, makers, artists and innovators to showcase their work. Through exhibitions, presentations and the Innovation Awards, participants were able to demonstrate that the Northeast is home to a growing community of people actively building solutions and creating new possibilities.
The conversations also connected today's innovation movement with the region's long history of creativity and enterprise. Speakers encouraged young people to look beyond the challenges associated with the region and recognise the opportunities that exist within its people, culture and communities.
Innovation as a Pathway to a Stronger Northeast
For Co-Development Hub, the summit represented more than a single event. It demonstrated the value of creating spaces where young people can meet mentors, exchange ideas, discover opportunities and connect with organisations working to strengthen the region's future.
The conversations at NECIS 2025 reinforced a simple but important message: meaningful change does not happen when communities wait for solutions to arrive. It happens when people are given the opportunity, knowledge and networks to create those solutions themselves.
By bringing together innovators, creatives, institutions and development partners, the summit contributed to a growing ecosystem where ideas can move from conversation to experimentation and, ultimately, impact.
The future of the Northeast will be shaped by the ideas, creativity and determination of its people.
Looking Ahead
The Northeast Creativity and Innovation Summit 2025 ended with a renewed sense of possibility. From young founders presenting emerging solutions to creatives exploring new opportunities and institutions strengthening their commitment to innovation, the summit showed what becomes possible when an ecosystem comes together around a shared vision.
For Maiduguri and the wider Northeast, the challenge is now to build on this momentum — strengthening collaboration, supporting young innovators and creating more pathways for local ideas to grow.
NECIS 2025 offered a clear reminder that innovation is not something that belongs somewhere else. It can begin here, with local ideas, local talent and people willing to step out and innovate.