Emma Okonji
As part of its commitment to train and empower 50,000 people and to support startups in Nigeria and Africa, Facebook on Tuesday, launched NG_Hub in Lagos, Nigeria, which will serve as its first flagship community hub space in Africa.
The launch, which is in partnership with Co-creation Hub (CcHub), will enable Facebook achieve the promise it made seven months ago, to train 50,000 Nigerians that will leverage technology to stimulate the growth of technology ecosystem in Nigeria.
The initiative, according to Facebook, would bring together developers, start-ups, and the wider tech community across Lagos and Nigeria, and provide them with the resources and facilities that will help them develop the Nigeria technology ecosystem, collaborate, learn, and exchange ideas.
With creativity and excellence existing across all of Nigeria, Facebook also announced partnerships with seven other hubs across the country. They are: Ventures Platform in Abuja; nHub in Jos; Colab Hub in Kaduna; DI Hub in Kano; Start Innovation Hub in Uyo; Roar Hub in Enugu and Ken Saro Wiwa Hub in Port Harcourt.
They will serve as centres of excellence and will feature dedicated Facebook spaces, where many of Facebook’s training sessions will take place, and a space where creatives and developers can book to help them advance their skills.
Featuring bespoke works of art from local artists in Nigeria, the NG_Hub space, which includes workspaces, meeting rooms, a games and chill out room, an event space and a well catered café, will also be the focal point for a number of training programmes. Aimed at attracting the best talents and driving innovation in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem, these are all designed to equip Nigerian SMEs, tech entrepreneurs and the next generation of leaders to better understand and utilise the power of digital tools for economic growth.
The training programme include the Fb Start Accelerator programme, a research and mentorship-driven programme aimed at empowering start-ups and students with technical and business support and funding to optimise their product for growth; Digify Pro Nigeria – a two-month intensive boot camp where 20 aspiring digital professionals will learn what it takes to have a career in digital marketing; Boost Your Business – Made especially for micro, small and medium sized businesses owners., Boost Your Business is a one-day training that teaches digital marketing for business growth and #SheMeansBusiness , which is a one-day training workshop and networking experience for female entrepreneurs, offering a mix of business and digital marketing training for women led businesses.
Facebook’s Vice President of Partnerships, Ime Archibong, said: “Technology provides expansive opportunities to engage young, creative and resourceful Nigerians, especially in delivering solutions to challenges across communities here in Nigeria. Our mission is to build community and bring the world closer together, NG_Hub provides that physical space that will serve as a centre of learning and skills development in Lagos.
Commenting on the partnership Founder/CEO of CcHub, Bosun Tijani, said: “Our aim has always been to provide a viable platform for creatives and innovators to express their talent and create solutions to the myriad of social and economic challenges faced by countries across the continent. Partnering with Facebook on NG_Hub enables us to achieve our objectives at scale and make the desired impact in the tech ecosystem here in Lagos.â€
Director, Public Policy, Africa for Facebook, Ebele Okobi said the NG_Hub would enable Facebook to drive investments, support, create impact and have better understanding of the Nigerian market.
