This is the first edition of Innovation Support Network (ISN) hubs featuring innovation centers in Nigeria for the year 2022.
In this edition, we would look at Premier Hub Innovation Center located in Yaba, Lagos and Ondo State, Nigeria.
Founded by Ibukun Obe in 2018, the hub was established to fast-track industrialization in Nigeria by providing training and mentorship for a wide range of technology-related skills while empowering the Nigerian Youths for entrepreneurship and employment.
According to the founder, Premier Hub is evolving innovation in Nigeria, by empowering creative thinkers through its platform to fast-track technology in Nigeria while inventing the country’s future.
Premier hub aim is to impact the Nigerian Economy to become a knowledgeable driven/smart economy, capable of rapidly accelerating industrialization by training and serving as talent acceleration points for young Nigerians in technology-driven sectors of the economy such as Digital and Innovative Solutions, Professional Services, Manufacturing and Agro-allied Technologies.
In addition, the founder added that Premier hub wants to create employment opportunities and support the economic expansion of the nation.
To prevent and reduce poverty by providing the skills and training required to empower youths and women in the society thereby impacting Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
Premier hub area of focus includes; agriculture, health, technology, education, energy and maritime
Innovation and entrepreneurship
According to the founder, innovation hubs across the country foster innovation/ entrepreneurship for their local community by providing an enabling environment for entrepreneurs through workspaces, data, training, linking them to investors that will help grow their business and provide seed capital to support their businesses.
Describing the state of innovation/entrepreneurship in Nigeria, the founder commented on the rapid growth in the number and quality of entrepreneurs in Lagos especially in the tech field, while citing examples of prominent startups in the country.
He also mentioned how Yaba has grown to earn the nickname, ‘Silicon Valley of Nigeria’, while Lagos is having the highest percentage of tech startups in Nigeria.
On improving Nigeria’s technology, innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems, Ibukun said that it can be achieved through the creation of an enabling business environment.
“Improve for example the power sector, transportation networks, for entrepreneurs to be able to source for quality locally made materials, and also improve the security architecture of the nation to drive investment from out of Country.”, added Ibukun.
In terms of enhancing the participation of youth and women in technology, innovation and entrepreneurship, Premier hub over the years has been geared towards empowering the youths in Nigeria by giving them free training and mentorship, while also investing in youths that have leveraged technology to build their ideas into sustainable solutions.
“We have also ensured that through our selection process for our programs, female-led startups have been given the same opportunities.”
Challenges and milestones
As mentioned by Ibukun, epileptic power supply and high cost of data appear to be the challenge of Premier hub, however, the hub has recorded some milestones.
According to the founder, the hub has supported over 200 early-stage start-ups in the South West of Nigeria in transforming their ideas into viable solutions/products, helping them gain traction in the market and become successful ventures.
Examples are HTML foods, Wii Technologies, SmartTeller, LifePro food mills and Flair Underwear to mention a few.
The hub has also and also run 3 cohorts of the iStart-up Southwest National Social Investment Program, providing training, equity-free funding and mentorship to Startups in Nigeria.
Premier hub recently concluded the maiden edition of the Lagos Startup program and the Startups are currently running a 3-month virtual mentoring program.
Government and ISN’s role
On how the government can assist innovations hubs in Nigeria, Ibukun mentioned the case of creating an enabling business environment while also commenting that ISN has supported the hub with excellent publicity and also a good source of information.
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