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2017 – ongoing

Published: 16.11.2020

Summary

The Ken Saro-Wiwa Innovation Hub (the Hub) has become a prominent centre supporting high quality, tech-based livelihoods that connect women and young people in the Niger Delta to the global internet marketplace. The Hub was established by Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) and the Ken Saro-Wiwa Foundation in 2017 to support Ken Saro-Wiwa’s vision of fulfilling people’s right to a decent livelihood that does not destroy the environment.

The Hub is based in the Ken Saro-Wiwa Foundation building in Port Harcourt City, Rivers State, and managed by SDN. The Hub has been providing stateof- the-art training for youth, including women, in tech and tech-related activities, with a view to bridging a technological gap in the region. Over the last two years, the Hub has supported a number of digital startup companies that aim to achieve various Global Goals in the region, various developer groups (including Google and Andela), and developed an enabling environment for young tech and business persons to meet, brainstorm, and share ideas on ways to solve or mitigate challenges facing technological development in Nigeria. Training sessions and workshops held at the Hub have been attended by over 3,000 participants.

Aims

In the next three years, the Hub aims to support 18 startups to develop viable businesses, to grow, and create new jobs in the digital economy, and provide valuable digital skills that will help at least 3,500 young people and women to improve their skills, secure gainful employment or/and improve their income. To achieve this, the project has four main areas of work:

Key activities

  1. Development and delivery of a comprehensive ‘incubation’ programme for 18 start-up companies over three years, to grow into viable businesses that employ additional people. Each year, six startup businesses will be selected into our six-month startup incubation programme that will support entrepreneurs overcome challenges that are associated with running a startup by providing workspace, seed funding, mentoring and training and access to a network of successful businesses.
  2. Multi-level training curriculum for up to 3,500 women and young people over three years, to enter tech-based and digital livelihoods, applying their new skills to compete in the global digital marketplace, as well as solving local socio-economic issues.
  3. Delivery of a tailored programme of public events and networking opportunities to help startups and tech groups across the region build relationships with key industry influencers, develop new ideas and financial opportunities that could further the growth of their businesses, thus improving their business revenue.
  4. Provision of cutting-edge facilities and a communal computer lab, especially for beneficiaries from low-income households, who identify the lack of access to a laptop or/and high cost of internet subscription as a major barrier to their participation in tech.

Context

Since its inception, the Hub has supported thousands of young people and women to gain various digital skills through a diverse range of training, and, through its rigorous incubation programme, has supported the success of seven start-up companies in the region. These efforts have been pivotal in creating a thriving tech community in Port Harcourt City and providing employment opportunities for Hub participants.

It is an absolutely critical time in the Niger Delta to protect these successes and further promote more diverse livelihoods in the tech sector if the region is to reduce the persistent unemployment. The recent oil price drop has sharpened the focus on Nigeria’s dependency on the oil and gas industry, and the associated vulnerability this creates with little intervention from the government to diversify the economy, foster wider opportunities, and encourage innovation.

The faltering bedrock of the Niger Delta economy is a huge opportunity to build an economy that is more environmentally friendly, diversified, and geared towards creating jobs and skills fit for the future. The tech industry is thriving in Nigeria, which could contribute towards the recovery of Covid-19-related economic impacts in the Niger Delta, particularly improving the livelihood options for young people and women who experience the fewest opportunities. However, tech industry growth is currently concentrated in Lagos and Abuja, with limited private or public investment within the Niger Delta.

As part of the solution, the Ken Saro-Wiwa Foundation and SDN have worked together to establish the Ken Saro-Wiwa Innovation Hub in Port Harcourt City. It has an explicit focus on engaging young people (aged 15-35) and women living in the Niger Delta to lead the development of a sustainable tech industry in the region. The Hub is pivotal in efforts to revive the local economy, reducing barriers and supporting the development of a new livelihood opportunity with a global marketplace.

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Published: 16.11.2020

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