News Highlights:
- NITDA has expanded the Hub Managers training program nationwide to drive job creation, economic diversification, and grassroots technological innovation.
- The initiative aims to equip startups with the skills and support needed to address local challenges, with an expected impact of creating over 8,000 jobs by year-end.
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has announced the nationwide expansion of the Hub Managers training program, an initiative that aims to harness technological innovation to create jobs, improve livelihoods, and drive economic diversification across Nigeria.
Speaking at the iHatch Cohort 4 Onsite Training for Hub Managers in Abuja, organized in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), Inuwa emphasized the need to decentralize technological innovation.
“We don’t want technological innovation to be concentrated only in Lagos and Abuja. We want to take it to the grassroots and use it to solve real-life problems. That is why we designed the iHatch initiative,” he stated.
The training program brought together 37 hub managers from all 36 states and the FCT, equipping them with the skills to develop strong incubation systems, foster regional partnerships, enhance mentorship capacity, and connect startups to global best practices.
Inuwa highlighted the success of the initiative’s pilot phase in Abuja, which trained 50 startups and created 179 direct jobs and over 1,500 indirect jobs and noted that with its nationwide expansion, iHatch is expected to generate 740 direct jobs and 7, 400 indirect jobs by the end of the year.
“This initiative will localize innovation, enabling startups to address pressing challenges in key sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and transportation in their respective states,” he explained.
Stressing the importance of collaboration, Inuwa noted that innovation thrives in clusters where stakeholders can exchange ideas and incubate solutions. “To sustain this initiative, we must build a strong community where startups, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders continuously collaborate. We want this initiative to expand to all 774 local governments in Nigeria.”
The NITDA DG also linked the program to the Nigeria Startup Act, which provides legal backing and incentives for startups and urged participants to champion the Act in their states, encouraging startups to register and benefit from its provisions.
“Our ultimate goal is to ensure every Nigerian is digitally literate and can use technology to access government and private sector services. Even market women should be able to leverage technology to grow their businesses,” he added.
Reaffirming NITDA’s commitment to supporting innovation, Inuwa encouraged participants to keep pushing boundaries. “We at NITDA are proud to walk this journey with you. Let’s keep building, let’s keep innovating, and let’s continue to shape the future of Nigeria, one innovation at a time.”
