Entrepreneurship is often framed as the pursuit of breakthrough ideas. But in nations undergoing deep economic transformation, it is increasingly about something more foundational: the building of systems. In Nigeria, the entrepreneurs gaining recognition are developing infrastructure with national relevance, scalability, and integrity. They are redefining what business means in a country where systems, not slogans, are what carry long-term value.
Each year, the National Entrepreneurship Honors (NEH) shines a spotlight on such individuals, those whose work is not only innovative but indispensable. Among its most prestigious distinctions, the Trailblazer in Tech Entrepreneurship Award stands out as a symbol of meaningful progress, system-wide utility, and responsible innovation.
Curated through a rigorous selection process led by respected professionals, industry experts, and private-sector leaders, the award is reserved for a trailblazer whose vision delivers more than just functionality, it enables national advancement.
To win this award is to join a rare group of thinkers and builders whose work has become embedded in the very structure of Nigeria’s economic future. These individuals don’t merely disrupt, they design the rails on which future industries run. In recognizing a recipient, the NEH affirms that innovation must serve more than ambition; it must serve society.
Past recipients of the Trailblazer in Tech Entrepreneurship Award include:
- Chinelo Menkiti (2024)
- Nkem Odiora (2023)
- Samuel Efeduma (2022)
- Zainab Aluko (2021)
- Olawale Irele (2020)
- Chika Ofodile (2019)
- Hadiza Bello-Omoruyi (2018)
Each of these names represents a milestone in the evolution of Nigeria’s technology and enterprise landscape. From strengthening digital infrastructure to elevating standards in governance and delivery, their contributions have expanded access, improved trust, and redefined what leadership looks like in tech.
As a new cycle of nominations begins, the spotlight once again turns to those visionaries who are not just chasing relevance but anchoring resilience. For the National Entrepreneurship Honors, innovation is necessary. It must endure and it must leave the country stronger than it found it.
