May 5, 2026

As the Board Chair of Startup Kano, Aisha Tofa noted at the outset of the programme, “Today is not just about pitches. It is about possibility. It is about capital meeting opportunity… and shifting the narrative of Northern Nigeria, from untapped potential to activated opportunity.” She further emphasised the core intent behind the initiative: “CIED was designed… to move startups from potential to readiness and from readiness to investment.” This framing captures the essence of the Climate Innovation Ecosystem Development (CIED) Project, not simply as a programme, but as a system designed to connect ideas, structure, and capital in a way that enables real, scalable impact. Ecosystem Framing and Programme Launch​ Northern Nigeria has taken a deliberate step into the climate innovation space through the Climate Innovation Ecosystem Development (CIED) Project in Kano. Supported by PACE Nigeria and implemented by Startup Kano under the UK in Nigeria partnership, the CIED programme was designed as a structured ecosystem-building initiative that connected ideas to investment and impact. It did not function as a standalone training programme, but as a coordinated effort to build a climate innovation pipeline, one that supports startups from ideation through to investment readiness and scalable impact. At the core of the initiative was a recognition of a persistent challenge: many climate solutions fail not due to lack of innovation, but because the ecosystem around them is fragmented. While policies, funding opportunities, and support structures exist, they are often disconnected, making it difficult for startups to navigate the pathway from idea to implementation. The CIED programme was established to address this gap by intentionally building those missing linkages. Multi-Stakeholder Co-Creation and Policy Alignment​ The journey began with a multi-stakeholder roundtable and co-creation process that brought together government institutions, development partners, academia, innovators, and financial actors. Together, they worked to shape a practical toolkit that translates the Kano State climate change policy into actionable pathways for entrepreneurs. This process laid the foundation for stronger collaboration across the ecosystem and reinforced a shared commitment to making climate innovation work in practice, particularly for youth and women-led startups in Northern Nigeria. Pilot Cohort Selection and Venture Development Journey ​ At the centre of the programme was the 2026 CIED Pilot Cohort. Selected from a highly competitive pool of over 120 applicants in Kano, 13 climate innovators represented a diverse set of solutions focused on climate adaptation, clean energy, and waste management. Throughout the programme, they underwent an intensive journey of climate finance readiness, venture building, and investor engagement, equipping them with the skills and tools needed to access climate finance and scale their solutions within their communities. Bootcamp: Capacity Building, Finance Readiness and Systems Thinking The Climate Innovation Ecosystem Development Bootcamp served as the programme’s core capacity-building engine. Participants were guided through a structured progression that began with deep problem analysis using tools such as the Fishbone (Cause-and-Effect) Model and the 5 Whys technique. This ensured that solutions were grounded in real systemic issues rather than surface-level assumptions. They then moved into structured business model development using the Triple Layer Business Model Canvas, integrating economic viability, environmental responsibility, and social impact into a single coherent framework. This helped participants design startups that were not only financially sustainable but also environmentally responsible and socially relevant. As the programme progressed, participants engaged with Monitoring & Evaluation systems, ESG frameworks, and Social and Behavioural Change (SBC) concepts. These elements strengthened their ability to measure impact, align with investor expectations, and understand how behavioural dynamics influence climate outcomes. They also explored climate risk and sustainability exposure, gaining insight into how physical and transitional climate risks affect business survival, regulatory compliance, and long-term investment readiness. A strong emphasis was also placed on climate finance, where participants learned how funding flows within the climate ecosystem, how investment decisions are made, and how startups can position themselves to access available opportunities within Nigeria’s evolving climate finance landscape. Across all these layers, the programme contributed to the formation of a more structured ecosystem, one that connects policy to practice, innovation to finance, and ideas to implementation. Startup Reflections and Learning Outcomes Insights gathered from participating startups further reinforce the programme’s impact beyond the structured sessions and Demo Day outcomes. Reflecting on their experience through post-programme feedback, Her Ecospace, which emerged as the overall winner, described the programme as “an intensive, eye-opening journey that bridged the gap between traditional business modelling and climate-conscious entrepreneurship.” The team noted that it “provided a structured environment to refine our mission of turning waste into value,” highlighting the clarity and direction gained throughout the process. They further emphasised the transformative shift in their approach, stating that “the transition from a traditional Business Model Canvas (BMC) to a Triple Layered Business Model Canvas (TLBMC) was transformative,” alongside gaining “deep insights into ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) standards and Empathy Mapping.” This, they explained, enabled them to understand better both their community and the environmental implications of their work. Reflecting on the broader impact, they noted that “the programme significantly sharpened our focus at Her EcoSpace,” helping them move beyond simply “making products” to understanding their role within “a broader climate-ready ecosystem,” with a clearer roadmap for scalability and resilience. They also highlighted the climate readiness sessions as particularly impactful, noting that facilitators effectively translated complex global climate goals into practical, locally relevant actions, while suggesting that more hands-on sessions on navigating Nigeria’s green finance landscape could further strengthen future cohorts. Similarly, Beta Agric (Bera Tomato), which secured second place at the Demo Day, described the programme as “a very integral and rigorous training program that challenges thought processes and facilitates structured and strategic planning for overall business growth and climate alignment.” A major takeaway for the team was “our TLBMC design,” which has become central to their operations. They further explained that the programme helped bring their climate-smart business model to life and guided them in “creating, enacting and implementing our ESG policy, ensuring that it guides our operations. ”Reflecting on their experience, they noted