We are committed to making the world see Akwa Ibom in a different light not only oil and gas industry or a civil service state as widely speculated. That is why whenever privileged, we take advantage of every opportunity to make people understand that ICT is taking shape in the Land of Promise. This is gradually making it a clear departure from the norm.
Start Innovation Hub and The RootHub recently co-hosted Uyo PopUp Incubator Hangout which was organised by Social Good Nigeria and supported by Embassy of Sweden in Nigeria. The event held on June 20, 2015 at Ibom eLibrary with the theme “Incubating Social Entrepreneurs through Technology.” Participants had the platform to share business ideas, success stories, strategies and other useful tips, while others were taken through ideation and growth hacking processes, among others.
We really appreciated the event because of the exposure our hub members got regarding Business Model Canvass.
The business model canvass is a strategic management and lean startup template for developing new or documenting existing business models. It is also a visual chart with columns or elements describing a firm or products value proposition, infrastructure, customers and finances.
Ize Adava, Jeremiah Agenyi, Esther Agbarakwe of the Social Good group, and other instructors, guided participants to apply the knowledge gathered during the session, a strategy which helped participants to collectively develop a Business Model Canvass from one of the business ideas that was pitched.
The event was inspiring and attracted the likes of the Honourable Member Representing Nsit Ubium State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Onofiok Luke who said;
“I believe that young people can come up with ideas that can help us solve many of our social problems. We can come up with ideas that can help us in agriculture, traffic management in the state, access to educational materials for the people in secondary schools, university or even people in primary and nursery schools”
Deputy Head of Missions of the Swedish embassy in Nigeria, Mr. Josef Ahlberg, said his office is delighted to increase awareness between Swedish and Nigerian social entrepreneurs, urging youths not to keep their ideas to themselves but to share same and keep contributing to the social good of Nigeria.
“Nigeria is not only the future it is how, and I think we need to link up to that. We need to increase trade and business between Sweden and Nigeria and whatever happens in Nigeria, it doesn’t benefit Nigeria (alone), it benefits the whole world including Sweden and we are part of the global market and the social good movement. So we really want to link up with Nigeria in that social good movement”
Start Innovation Hub through the CEO shared their success stories which included seven startups pre-incubating, with Laurels from NASA international space Apps challenge, global entrepreneurship week ideas contest and KOLA awards. The RootHub through their co-founder Mr. Francis Onuk also shared their success stories of incubating about 20 business ideas and are looking forward to using technology to maximise profit. Onuk also notified the participants of the forth coming Start Conference they are working with Start Innovation Hub to make it happen late July.
Trust me, if we go like this, Nigeria will get there faster than imagined.
