Facebook NG_Hub yesterday rolled out achievements it recorded in the last one year of operation, despite the hostile environment which start-ups and digital entrepreneurs in the country are facing.
The essence of setting hubs is to drill youths talented in digital skills into productivity and software development to serve the local and international market, but experiences have shown that both governments and corporate bodies looking for software go abroad at the detriment of indigenous products.
It is on record that a number of Hubs that took off few years back have parked up due to poor patronage and other factors. A typical example was Idea Hub.
However, in an infographic released Wednesday, Facebook highlighted key milestones over the past one year.
Created as part of Facebook’s ongoing commitment and investment in growing the start-up ecosystem, and in partnership with CcHub, NG_Hub is a multi-faceted space which connects and bring together developers, start-up’s and the wider community to collaborate, learn and exchange ideas. With a number of expert training and events with partners across Nigeria, undertaking in the hub and externally, the aim is to equip individuals and businesses to grow.
Some highlights over the past year includes training over 50,800 SMBs in digital skills across 20 states in Nigeria; delivering 526 events with over 11,490 attendees at NG_Hub, including programmes such as AR/VR meetups, FbStart Accelerator Programme, Facebook Community Leaders Community meetings (CLCs), Developer Circle gatherings etc.
Within the period under review, Facebook said it directly supported businesses in 11 different industries from agriculture, through to catering, education and fashion
Speaking of its one year anniversary, Adaora Ikenze, Head of Public Policy, West and Central Africa, said “I’m proud of the incredible impact that NG_Hub has had in its first year, and continues to have on the lives of young Nigerians. We remain committed in deepening our engagement, increasing skills development and supporting the next set of innovators, tech entrepreneurs, start-ups, in our collective bid to change the face of technology and grow the economy.”
In his goodwill message on the partnership, Founder/CEO of CcHub, Bosun Tijani, averred that “We’re glad about the tremendous impact Facebook’s investment in NG_HUB has had in such a short period and the ecosystem is already seeing the fruits of this commitment. We’re committed to working with Facebook to position NG_HUB as a major platform that drives smart application of technology innovation for economic prosperity across the region and beyond.”
Business Hilights recalls that even though Facebook seems to have made some progress with the hub, there had been dwindling fortunes for a lot of similar establishments traced to poor government support and negligence of locally developed software both by governments and private enterprises, thus frustrating the creative ingenuity of young Nigerians who are doing their best at the hubs.
One of the hubs that have closed shop during the period under review was Idea Hub and checks showed that a lot more are currently under stress caused by poor patronage.
