UK-Nigeria Tech Hub Set to Empower Start-ups, Ecosystem Stakeholders to Tackle Challenges of COVID-19

The UK Government has stated its commitment to support the growth of tech sector in Nigeria as a growing and sustainable digital ecosystem which contributes to economic growth and diversification.

Honey Ogundeyi, country director, UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, stated this in a statement released on Tuesday, in Lagos.

According to the statement, “The UK- Nigeria Tech Hub is set to launch intervention programmes to support Nigeria’s Tech eco-system, following its recently concluded survey in the country on start-ups & investors, to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other preventive protocols on their businesses.

“The objective of the survey was to understand how COVID-19 has affected early-stage start-up revenue, growth, fundraising, and further gain insights on new strategies that would better support start-ups during and post-COVID-19.”

Honey Ogundeyi, country director, UK-Nigeria Tech Hub

She further stated that the results from the survey of the ongoing pandemic and the lockdown economy continues to affect start-ups in different ways, forcing them to re-evaluate business models, disrupting the value chain, and re-assess fundraising plans. And on a more positive note the pandemic has caused an acceleration of remote working.

Ogundeyi said: “In April 2020, the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub surveyed the tech-sector to better understand how start-ups are adapting in these unprecedented times.

“Respondents to the survey, ranged from pre-seed to Series A companies, in tech-sectors including agriculture, education, financial services, health, amongst others.

“Our goal with this survey was to provide insights to help identify the interventions and support most beneficial to start-ups in Nigeria and to offer more insightful guidance to the Nigerian start-up community and other key stakeholders.

“The UK will continue to focus our work on three key areas: programmes we can put in place to drive the recovery agenda; how we can create long-term prosperity; and the capacity and digital skills programmes to support Nigeria’s digital sector.”

She also explained that in the coming weeks, the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub through these intervention programmes will support Nigeria’s Tech Eco-system and help to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on start-ups, investors and businesses.

Some of the intervention programmes according to her include: Support to the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA’s) Presidential Advisory Committee Tech 4 COVID-19; the committee, comprised of Nigerian Government and tech stakeholders with an objective to provide recommendations on the measures to be taken to cushion the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Nigerian tech sector.

Hub Upskill (COVID-19) Programme: An online programme to help hub managers and operators transition to virtual delivery of their programmes, with a particular focus on hubs who work in underserved communities and promote inclusion and diversity.

And COVID-19 Virtual Roundtables, Policy Dialogue Series, Webinars & Digital Skills Trainings:  A series of virtual roundtables to selected ecosystem start-ups, private sector and the policy stakeholders- on various topics focusing on learnings from the survey.

The goal of these multiple virtual interactive sessions is to provide digital skills and capacity training to the start-up ecosystem.

The dialogue platform will convene all key stakeholders in the tech-entrepreneurship ecosystem to also dialogue and discuss recommendations around policy and program interventions to support the growth of tech entrepreneurs.