Edo State Government to Launch First State-Backed Tech Hub in Nigeria!

The Edo State Government is set to launch a new tech hub and tech training facility in the state. With support from the state’s skill acquisition initiative, EdoJobs, the state has a lofty target for its new tech hub. It is looking to train over 1,000 people in various ICT skills and support tech innovators grow their businesses.

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Called Edo Innovation Hub, the tech hub is critical to Governor Godwin Obaseki’s inclusive growth and development plan. Located at the state’s Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) in Benin City, the hub will launch on June 14.

The innovation hub would serve as a facility for training youths in the state and it would also serve as a centre for follow-up training for youths who are participating in similar training programmes organized by the state government…

In addition to basic ICT skills, the hub is looking to expand into more ambitious domains. It plans to provide training in data management, programming, and artificial intelligence.  To accomplish this, the hub already partners with quite a few tech firms, a report said. They include Siemens, Tech4Dev, Microsoft, Impact Hub, Curators University (an American University), Hotels.ng, and a few others.

Together, these companies would provide services such as incubation and pre-incubation programme, acceleration programme, business clinics and co-working facilities.

Edo State Joins Lagos State to Prioritize ICT Education

Evidently, Edo State’s tech hub took a clue from the ICT initiatives of the Lagos State Government. The Lagos State Government has been prioritizing ICT education for the last two years with its efforts gaining even more steam with the Code Lagos initiative. The Code Lagos Initiative provides programming education to Lagosians and aims to train 1 million residents coding by 2030.

For Edo state, the ICT agenda is a bit different and more immediate. According to the Governor’s Senior Assistant on Skills Development and Job Creation, Ms. Ukinebo Dare, Edo Innovation Hub is key to the integration of Edo State’s digital economy.