Oyinkansola Akintola-Bello. Photo: Linkdeln
The UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, an initiative of the UK government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sports (DCMS) is partnering the Network of Incubators and Innovators in Nigeria (NINE) to launch an impact accelerator – ‘Social Innovation Driven Entrepreneurship’ for social impact entrepreneurs.
According to the organisers, selected entrepreneurs under the initiative will join the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub founder pipeline and gain access to resources and network.
In addition, they will undergo a bespoke 16-week in-person and virtual training, from local tech hubs and business leaders, designed to equip them with the expertise needed to scale their impact while remaining profitable.
The Country Director of the Tech Hub, Oyinkansola Akintola-Bello, said the collaboration to scale social impact innovations underscores the UK’s commitment to nurturing brilliance in underserved regions, ensuring that every idea, regardless of location has the resource and support required to scale.
“Interested entrepreneurs should visit https://sidenigeria.com to apply. In the build-up to the accelerator, NINE and Kaduna Business School developed a challenge brief to identify market and sector-specific gaps in health, climate change, education and food security affecting underserved populations in six pilot states in Nigeria – Edo, Adamawa, Kwara, Kaduna, Enugu and Osun states.”
Chairman of NINE, Bankole Oloruntoba, said it is imperative that the firm stimulate emerging city-based innovation ecosystems in Nigeria beyond Abuja and Lagos. “This programme is focused on these emerging state economies to stimulate the entrepreneurial economies, as well as create job possibilities using digital tech.”
To become eligible for the programme, the organisers said startups must be MVP-ready and female start-up founders, adding that innovators are highly encouraged to apply.
The UK-Nigeria Tech Hub stimulates local digital economies, supports inclusive and sustainable economic growth and jobs, builds high-end digital skills, and forge innovation partnerships between Nigerian tech sectors and international businesses.
