By The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has begun a nationwide expansion of the Hub Managers training programme in harnessing technological innovation to improve the lives of Nigerians, create jobs and foster economic diversification.
Announcing the expansion at the iHatch Cohort 4 -Onsite Training for Hub Managers, which was organised by the agency in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), Director-General of NITDA, Mr Kashifu Inuwa disclosed that the pilot phase of the iHatch, which was conducted in Abuja, successfully trained 50 startups, which led to the creation of 179 direct jobs and over 1,500 indirect jobs.
Inuwa stated that the expansion of the initiative to accommodate all the 37 states will create 740 direct jobs and 7,400 indirect jobs before the end of the year.
He said, “this initiative will domesticate innovation in states and enable start-ups solve real-life problems in areas of agriculture, healthcare, transportation and other sectors, that are peculiar to their different states”.
The NITDA DG noted the importance of collaboration, networking and ecosystem development in driving innovation saying that in addition to job creation and ecosystem building, the initiative aligns with the Nigeria Startup Act.
“To sustain this initiative, we must build a strong community where startups, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders can continuously share ideas and collaborate. We don’t want startups to just pass through the programme; we want them to remain within the iHatch ecosystem because we want this initiative to expand to all the 774 local governments of the country.” Inuwa explained.
Inuwa therefore urged the participants in the iHatch programme to act as champions in their respective states, spreading awareness about the Act and encouraging other startups to register and benefit from its provisions.
The on-site training programme, which had 37 hub managers from the 36 states of the federation, including the FCT, will empower hubs to build robust incubation systems to support startups locally, develop strong regional ecosystems through partnerships and engagement, enhance their operational and mentorship capacity and provide access to international exchange programmes towards the adoption of best global practices.
