The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), through its Lagos Innovates initiative, has formally welcomed a new cohort of startup founders into the IdeaHub and Workspace Voucher programmes during the inaugural Lagos Innovates LaunchPad Orientation held at The Zone, Gbagada.

The event brought together government officials, members of the Lagos innovation ecosystem, private sector partners, and emerging founders, marking a new phase of founder support in Lagos State.

Delivering the opening remarks on behalf of LSETF, Mrs. Oyindamola Egbeyemi, Director of Programmes and Coordination, described the orientation as a strategic shift in how the state engages startups.

This is more than a welcome event. It reflects our commitment to support founders not as recipients of a one-time intervention, but as partners we journey with from the first idea to the first hire and beyond,” she said.

The orientation marks the first time that beneficiaries of both flagship Lagos Innovates interventions have been brought together at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey, under a structured onboarding process.

LSETF highlighted the scale of the state’s investment in innovation. Since 2018, the Workspace Voucher Programme has provided subsidised access to professional workspaces worth over ₦366 million across more than 57 innovation hubs in Lagos. Combined with the IdeaHub Programme, the interventions have supported over 1,200 startups across the state over the last decade.

According to the Agency, the programme is designed to strengthen the foundation of early-stage businesses by providing access to mentorship, infrastructure, partnerships, and a thriving innovation community.

The event also featured alumni founders whose businesses have grown through Lagos Innovates support. Among them was Fatima Yusuf, founder of House of Zibima, a sustainable fashion brand that converts plastic waste into footwear and has expanded into international markets following participation in the IdeaHub programme.

Another featured founder, Jeremiah Nwobodo of Presibo Technologies, shared how access to a professional workspace environment through the Workspace Voucher Programme helped position the health-tech startup for engagement with hospitals and investors.

LSETF noted that these stories demonstrate the broader goal of the Lagos Innovates initiative: enabling founders to move from survival to scale and from local ambition to global opportunity.

The Agency reaffirmed that Lagos State remains committed to building an innovation-driven economy by investing in entrepreneurs, technology, and collaborative partnerships. “Lagos secures its place as Africa’s innovation capital by deliberately investing in its people, founder after founder and cohort after cohort,” Mrs. Egbeyemi added.

The LaunchPad Orientation included ecosystem engagement sessions, founder onboarding, and alumni conversations aimed at preparing participants to maximise the opportunities available through the IdeaHub and Workspace Voucher programmes.

With the new cohort now formally onboarded, LSETF says it is focused on helping the selected founders build sustainable businesses capable of creating jobs, attracting investment, and contributing meaningfully to the future of the Lagos economy.