Power Outages Threaten Survival of Nigeria’s Innovation Hubs – Report

Nigeria's vibrant innovation ecosystem, a crucial engine for entrepreneurship and job creation, is facing an existential threat. A recent assessment report, unveiled in Abuja, paints a stark picture: the very hubs nurturing the next generation of Nigerian tech talent are struggling to survive due to a trifecta of challenges – erratic power supply, unreliable internet, and insufficient funding.

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The Federal Government has done well by making sure that the Startup Act is in place, but that’s at the national level. Some states have been smarter, some have failed to domesticate it at their own state level so that innovators at the sub-national level will be able to ride on that vehicle to connect to what is at the national level.

While the Federal Government's enactment of the Nigeria Startup Act is a commendable move, its impact is significantly curtailed by the lack of domestication in many states. This creates a fragmented landscape where innovators at the sub-national level are unable to fully leverage the national legislation. As Hanson Johnson, Chairman of the Innovation Support Network, pointed out, "Some states have been smarter, some have failed to domesticate it at their own state level so that innovators at the sub-national level will be able to ride on that vehicle to connect to what is at the national level."

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There are some products to build that we don’t have access to. It doesn’t make sense for you to have a N2bn licence before you come and build. There could be some sandboxes where you can try some things out because in tech-related spaces, you cannot test anything except you have access to data, information and some institutions.

The report, which meticulously mapped over 190 innovation hubs nationwide, underscores the financial fragility plaguing these vital institutions. Despite their immense community impact, most hubs operate on shoestring budgets, making them vulnerable to external shocks. Furthermore, innovators grapple with significant regulatory and institutional hurdles, including prohibitive licensing fees and a lack of access to essential data and sandboxes for testing new technologies. Addressing these systemic issues is paramount if Nigeria is to fully capitalize on its burgeoning digital economy and unlock the potential of its young, innovative minds.

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We want to train and connect 10,000 young Nigerians to opportunities by 2030. Not just training. The training is not the end game. Connecting them to opportunities and job creation is what matters.