Fadekemi Ajakaiye
UkAid through CovidAction is supporting the congregation of stakeholders in the Nigerian hardware/engineering ecosystem to Aba, Abia State, Nigeria.
CovidAction (Local Production Local Solutions) is a project to build technology and innovation pipeline for the COVID pandemic and surface remarkable pivots and innovations dealing with the demand for unavailable goods, according to the conveners, Hardware Convention 2021, Clintonel Innovation Centre (CIC).
COVIDaction Local Production & Local Solutions (LPLS) was designed to address big supply chain challenges by crowdsourcing and mapping innovative responses dealing with the demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) and other unavailable goods. Since April 2020, the initiative has launched a series of open calls to surface how organisations and grassroots innovators across Africa and South Asia have pivoted in local production and novel approaches to meet community needs.
The programme provides identified social entrepreneurs financial and technical assistance to scale their impact.
COVIDaction is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).
The theme of the convention is ‘Advancing Hardware, Engineering and Manufacturing Businesses in Nigeria’, and will take place from 26 – 28th of this month both physical at Aba, Abia State and virtually, with makers, engineers, makerspaces, fablabs, hardware startups/entrepreneurs, academia, investors, among others, sharing valuable knowledge.
There will be topics/panels/breakouts on:
Enhancing local production of medical equipment; Improving engineering/hardware skills development; Supporting hardware/ engineering entrepreneurship; Hardware ecosystem development and mapping; and Accessing Startup Funding.
Activities are: Presentations from speakers; Panel discussions; Hardware projects/workshops/co-creation (3D modeling, 3D scanning, 3D printing, CNC programming, CNC machining, Laser engraving, Injection machining, etc.); Exhibitions; Aba Tours: Tech hubs, factories, Leather Clusters, fabricators, monuments, etc.
The Hardware Convention 221 will feature 11 Speakers, five Panels, Digital Fabrication Workshops, Competitions, Exhibitions, Tours, etc.
Goals of Hardware Convention 2021 Below are the goals and objectives we plan to achieve through the Hardware Convention 2021:
They will create a nationwide publicity and attention to hardware as a core of national development; Attract investors and investments into the Nigerian hardware sector; Showcase the amazing ingenuity and products of Nigerian hardware experts, engineers and entrepreneurs.
Registration for the event is free but compulsory. Participants can register through this link:
https://bit.ly/hardwareconvention2021
Clintonel Innovation Centre (CIC) is a solar powered STEM Centre, Nigeria’s first Makerspace (Engineering Tech Hub) and Hardware Startup Incubator. We provide training, mentoring and equipment for young people to create engineering innovations, build indigenous products and startup technology businesses. Our training courses include: Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM)/Digital fabrication, Renewable energy and Entrepreneurship.
