Lagos Govt, Eko Innovation Centre Harp on Startup Funding, Empowerment

Emma Okonji

In a bid to address one of the critical challenges of businesses, especially among startups, the Lagos government and Eko Innovation Centre including other experts at the Art Of Technology Lagos 3.0, which held recently in Lagos, have offered tips on start-ups funding and empowerment.

They also used the platform to empower innovative Tech Entrepreneurs and young innovators with equity investment and other support initiatives to thrive in the business space.

The two-day hybrid conference curated by Eko Innovation Centre, had
its theme: ‘Funding and a Connected Lagos’. In attendance were government officials and other experts in the technology ecosystem who spoke on investment readiness, intellectual property, startup bills and other regulations, and policy formulations for tech startups in the tech ecosystem.

Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, who spoke at the event via a virtual platform, commended Lagos and Eko Innovation Centre for making the state the Silicon Valley of Africa, stating that it will continue to support the state in its quest to achieve much more.

He explained further that technology deployment was already changing the world, stating that the ICT sector is instrumental to the country’s exit from recession. He, therefore, urged startups to deploy technology to ease their operations in the interest of growing their business.

Pantami said the government was determined to support the growth of startups and businesses especially with the many government agencies working closely to fund and grow the business landscape.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said his administration had been deliberate about deploying technology to make governance seamless and had been funding the technology space in line with its smart city agenda, which has further helped the state to be the 5th largest economy in Africa.

He added that from traffic management to security, the state is deploying technology to make it better. The governor explained that the Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC) raised the bar in assisting the state in achieving its smart city agenda of making Lagos a 21st-century economy to transit to a smart city through the application of science and information technology and by also providing grants to innovators.

Art of Technology (AOT) Lagos is the largest tech conference in Nigeria, which brings together, key stakeholders from the public and private sector to discuss policies and initiatives that will pave way for the evolution of a smarter, digital, efficient, and competitive Lagos.

The event also had experts in the technology space, business, and financial sector. Some of the keynote speakers who made presentations at the forum, were Country Manager, Microsoft Nigeria, Ola Williams; Financial Services Leader and Chief Economist (PWC, NG), Dr. Andrew S. Nevin; MD/CEO, Bank of Industry,Olukayode Pitan; Founder, Ventures Platform, Kola Aina; Collaborator-In-Chief, TVC Labs, Tomi Davies and Deputy Governor, Financial Systems Stability Directorate, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Aishah N. Ahmad, among other experts.