In a significant recognition for Nigeria's innovation community, Dr. Obichi Obiajunwa has been crowned the Ecosystem Startup Coach of the Year at the prestigious 2025 Africa Startup Ecosystem Builders Summit and Awards (ASEB). The award ceremony took place recently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
A Continent-Wide Impact Recognised
The award honours Dr. Obiajunwa's outstanding contribution to innovation education, startup development, and research commercialisation across Africa. As the founder of Hutzpa Innovation Consulting and President of the Young Innovation Leaders Fellowship, his work has been pivotal in strengthening the continent's entrepreneurial landscape. This win is seen as an inspiration to young innovators, highlighting that those who invest in others create the most enduring success stories.
Eight Years of Building Africa's Innovators
Over the past eight years, Dr. Obiajunwa's influence has been profound and far-reaching. His coaching footprint is vast, having trained and mentored more than 5,000 innovators across 30 African countries through eight distinct programmes, four of which he founded himself.
His roles span several critical national and international initiatives:
- He serves as the Chief Facilitator for the Research for Impact (R4i) Programme of TETFund, guiding academics to turn their research into market-ready solutions.
- He designed and facilitated WIPO Nigeria's IP SALAYE Programme, which coaches National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to build businesses using intellectual property knowledge.
- He is the founder of Obichi PitchLab, a venture development programme for students and early-career researchers.
- He previously acted as the Pioneer Programme Manager for Israel's Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (I-FAIR) in Nigeria.
His expertise covers innovation leadership, ecosystem design, startup coaching, and research translation—areas deemed essential for Africa's long-term economic growth.
ASEB 2025 and the Future of Ecosystem Building
The 2025 ASEB awards were highly competitive, receiving over 2,600 nominations from 52 countries, signalling the rising momentum in Africa's innovation scene. Looking forward, the 2026 summit is scheduled for Johannesburg, South Africa.
A key development from the event was the launch of the Africa Startup Ecosystem Builders Society (ASEB Society). This new continental body aims to professionalise, support, and connect ecosystem builders across Africa, with Ethiopia inaugurated as its first national chapter. Organisers have expressed a strong interest in partnering with Dr. Obiajunwa in various capacities, including programme development and ambassadorial roles.
In their citation, the ASEB team noted that his work continues to shape founders and the broader ecosystem in meaningful ways. They stated, "This award is a testament to the lives you have touched, the businesses you have helped build, and the commitment you show to African innovation."
