The Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting small businesses by awarding N13 million in grants to three promising tech-driven MSMEs during the 2025 DBN Techpreneur Summit 4.0 held in Lagos.
Out of seven finalists who pitched their innovative ideas, BuyScrap, an e-waste recycling startup, took the top spot and received N6 million. QiqiFarms, focusing on smart agriculture, secured N4 million as the first runner-up, while Ecocyclers, a plastic waste conversion startup from Enugu, earned N3 million as second runner-up. Winners were selected by a panel of experienced industry judges.
Dr. Tony Okpanachi, DBN’s Managing Director, described the summit as more than a tech event—it’s part of a national movement to drive entrepreneurship through innovation. Themed ‘CTRL+SHIFT: Tech Empowered Movement for Naija’, the summit aimed to inspire Nigerian MSMEs to harness technology as a tool for resilience and growth.
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Okpanachi emphasized DBN’s ongoing efforts to support MSMEs through capacity-building, sustainable innovation, and financing. “We are not just investing in businesses,” he said, “we are nurturing a generation of tech-driven entrepreneurs capable of solving real-world challenges.”
Since its inception in 2017, DBN has consistently launched initiatives like the Digital Shift Workshops and the Eco-Innovation Challenge to empower Nigeria’s small business ecosystem. The summit showcased DBN’s shift toward increasing access to tech finance and promoting scalable, impactful MSME solutions across Nigeria.
For MSMEs in the tech and innovation space, this represents a valuable opportunity—not just for funding, but also for visibility, mentorship, and long-term support.
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