More Insight about Facebook’s New Hub in Lagos

Just like Microsoft Corporation and Google, Facebook is another multinational company that is adding significant value to the Nigerian tech industry in many phases. The largest social media site isn’t just interested about developers, they are also keen on making socio-economic impact.

The company believes that Nigeria has legions of talents that need to be harnessed properly. And one of the ways Facebook is contributing it’s quota is by providing the skills and expertise. They have done this over time. The Andela initiative is a practical example.

In less than one year, the Facebook Team finished the project of building a hub specifically designed for Nigerians. The “NG_Hub” was unveiled yesterday in Lagos, with about 30 Facebook Team Members in attendance.

A tour within the Facebook’s NG_Hub reveals great architectural and artistic aesthetics. The furniture, the artistic designs down to the architecture were all the handwork of local artisans. “We are proud of our local artisans, they designed all the beautiful things you see inside this hub,” says Emeka Afigbo, Manager, Facebook Developers Team.

The NG_Hub which situated in the cool city of Yaba, No 8, Montgomery Road, is like a big fish which swallows smaller creatures. It has workspaces, meeting rooms, games, chill out room and an event space. All these are coated with world class facilities you can ever think of.

The essence of having this hub is pull together developers, startups, and the wider tech community across Lagos and Nigeria. The launch yesterday, showcased what I see as new multi-faceted space which aims to bring together communities to collaborate, learn, and exchange ideas.

Aside from that, Facebook vowed to train 50,000 Nigerians on digital skills. The digital training programme will attract the best talent and drive innovation in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem.

One thing I am excited about is the confidence level of Facebook in the Nigerian market over the years. Yes, Nigeria is the largest market for Facebook in Africa with about 26 million monthly users.

However, it is important to know that this is not a Facebook Corporate Social Responsibility program. It is an investment for them. They want to support and make impact to the socio-economic development of Nigeria.

Mark Zuckerberg isn’t doing it alone, they partnered with Co-creation Hub as well as other 7 hubs across Lagos. These hubs include Abuja (Ventures Platform), Jos (nHub), Kaduna (Colab Hub), Kano (DI Hub), Uyo (Start Innovation Hub), Enugu (Roar Hub) and Port Harcourt (Ken Saro Wiwa Hub).

With CcHub being the major partnering hub for Facebook, Bosin Tijani, Founder of CcHub said: 10 years from now Nigeria will be at a certain level of technology advancement that will shock everybody.

“This is an ecosystem that doesn’t discriminate. This space comes with a lot of expertise and this is first of its kind in Nigeria, because Facebook is doing a lot in Nigeria.”

This week is going to be a busy week for the Facebook Team. They will be engaging different set of people, including VCs, community members, developers etc.

• Community roundtable – aimed at bringing together Community Groups from across Lagos
• DevC meetup – with Nigeria being home to the largest number of Developer Circles across Sub-Saharan Africa (over 8,800), this event will bring together DevC members in an afternoon of networking
• VC & Policy Roundtable – aimed at spearheading vital conversations and helping to bridge the gap between tech entrepreneurs and VCs and policy makers in Nigeria
• She Means Business/Women in Tech– a special SheMeansBusiness training offered especially for female entrepreneurs working in Lagos’ technology ecosystem
• SMB Boost Your Business Training – a four-hour training session for SMBs aimed at equipping them with vital digital skills to help grow their businesses
• Facebook and Instagram for Creatives – an inspirational hands-on session led by Creative Shop for Creatives building for Facebook and Instagram
• Fintech SMB Training – atraining session for SMBs in Fintech.

At the launch, the Federal Government was represented by Ife Adebayo, Special Assistant on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Vice President’s Office.

One striking comment I captured when he addressed the attendees was that: The Nigerian tech ecosystem is too fragmented and that has reaped them off certain benefits from the government.

The message to all the startups is for them to come together and tap into the huge opportunities available. Nigeria is gearing towards the right direction. Let’s hope we get it right in the next decade.

Ime Archibong, is the Facebook’s Vice President of Partnerships. He is from Akwa Ibom while the mother is from Enugu. He is excited about what is happening in Nigeria despite being in diaspora.

Archibong believes that technology provides expansive opportunities to engage young, creative and resourceful Nigerians, especially in delivering solutions to challenges across communities here in Nigeria.

He put this in perspective: Our mission is to build community and bring the world closer together, NG_Hub provides that physical space that will serve as a centre of learning and skills development in Lagos, and I’m excited about the possibilities that this will create.”