In a strategic partnership with Siemens, Tech4Dev, Microsoft, Impact Hub, Curators University, and Hotels.NG, the obaseki-led government of Edo state has announced that it will officially launch a state-backed innovation hub on June 14.
The hub will be called Edo Innovation Hub and would be located at the Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) in Benin.
The government rightly believes that the hub, which was the brainchild of its skills development arm, Edojobs, will help activate and drive the state’s fledging technology ecosystem. Edo innovation hub would do well to develop and nurture entrepreneurs while providing some needed amenities for running a successful startup or business.
Expectations are high as the hub is expected to train over 1,000 youths in data management, programming, basic digital skills, and artificial intelligence. It will also, according to the governor of the state, serve as a facility for training youths in the state. And also as a centre for follow-up trainings for youths, who are participating in training programmes that look like this and organised by the state government through its skills development arm, EdoJobs.
In his own words, “Services on offer by the firms include an incubation and pre-incubation programme, acceleration programme, business clinics and co-working facilities. Innovation Hub will be equipped with thousands of computers supported with high-speed connectivity.The hub is expected to play a major role in the realisation of Obaseki’s campaign promise to put an end to unemployment in Edo State by providing 200,000 jobs.”
In anticipation of its launch, we are expecting that the Edo innovation hub does well to operate up to expectations, and improve (visibly) the state’s ecosystem.