6 Ways nHub Nigeria is Transforming Lives In Jos, Plateau State Nigeria
impact, skill acquisition and youth engagements.
Their vision is based on a collective desire to advance the development of the local and international economy to a level of self-sustainability and rapid economic and developmental growth by intervening first in technology and then entrepreneurship and employability.
Jos a city once maimed by the media as the headquarter of killings and cattle rustling is slowly turning into a tech city where young people are becoming world changers through technologies. It's obvious a lot is picking up in the startup ecosystem in Plateau State. A lot of young people are daring to create businesses and government is also doing it's best to resuscitate failed companies.
David Daser's (nHub CEO) goal is to transform Jos into a city that is known for technology and the following are ways the hub is transforming the lives of the citizens in Plateau state Nigeria.
1. Provision of co-creation spaces.
"It is true that innovation and technology thrive when you isolate geeks and give them basic things they need. The need for a consistent tech ecosystem where one can meet like minded people is crucial to intellectual growth." - Daser David
nHub located at 3rd Floor TAEN Business COmplex, Opposite former NITEL Office, Yakubu Gowon Way Jos, Nigeria is home to an average of 205 young Nigerians on a daily basis. This is a perfect breeding ground for individuals looking to make their lives better or working on projects.
An atmosphere for interaction, competition and challenge through hackathons, boot camps, conferences and finally programs to enable them to share and air their beliefs and creativity is needed if we want to see the next phase of technological advancements and huge acceptance of tech startup culture in Nigeria.
A day at the hub would expose you to professionals like software developers, digital marketers, entrepreneurs, graphic designers etc. It's the best space for individuals looking to connect with like minds.
2. Access to employment opportunities and training.
"nHub is focused on training software engineers that would create tech solutions that would be shipped to the rest of the world." - Daser David
nHub Nigeria is taking a bold step to blaze a trail in Northern Nigerian by training young Nigerians with global tools for international relevance in the shortest period of time.
The hub has a fellowship program it runs for graduates in Nigeria, it also partners with firms to help them train software developers for job opportunities around the world. This would definitely go a long way in solving the problems of underemployment and unemployment in the northern part of Nigeria.
The hubs also run an employability and entrepreneurship programs with the help of their partners The Next Economy.
One of it's youngest startup launched a Fintech solution called pie.ng, the product has been accepted in the eastern part of Nigeria is employing its staff within Jos.
3. Access to incubation tools for startups and businesses.
nHub Nigeria has an incubation and acceleration program. Businesses are exposed to professionals, workspaces, tools, and training they need to succeed.
This initiative goes a long way in helping startups and businesses succeed as it reduces a lot of struggle most startups face in their early stages.
A great example to come out of their incubation program is Terminus.ng - a startup that is focused on disrupting the e-commerce industry with c-commerce by making life easier for the people in Jos. They run errands for their clients so they could have more time to focus on doing other things.
For more information about Terminus.ng, Read our interview with members of their team here.
4. Access to business and top-notch software development training.
While this is paid, I also need to state that most areas in Nigeria don't have access to the right software development training centers.
I attended two pieces of tech-related training in Lagos before I moved to Jos and both times I was a bit disappointed with the service I received for the money I paid. This is something you would definitely not experience with the hub as they have business and software development trainers that are passionate about making people understand the amazing ways they can influence lives with their business and applications.
You also have access to experienced software developers, business analysts and managers when you are working on projects, making your learning process one you would never forget.
5. Access to tech, business events, and seminars.
"Networking is the number unwritten rule in success in business and life" - Sallie Krawcheck
This is one thing I admit I miss about Lagos state, in Lagos, there's an amazing event every week, nHUb Nigeria is doing it's best to make this a reality in the city of Jos,
Events like HashCode, Nasa Space App Challenge, HackJos, The next economy crowdfunding event and expert session, and most recently Innovate Jos(more information on this soon) and other events organized with their partners.
These events give individuals the opportunity to network and we know that the value you get from networking with people you don't know yet is higher than the value of networking with people you have known for years who are in the same situation as you are.
6. Improve education for students in secondary, primary and tertiary institutions.
The hub does that with programs like Sevocoder that is targetted to kids aged 9-18 and with its internship program opened to students of universities in and outside of Nigeria.
Kids are being exposed to technology at a very young age - nHub Sevocoder program is doing a lot to reduce the gap in the technology ecosystem a lot of young Nigerians face. Growing up, I didn't have access to a computer or a laptop until I was in secondary school, nHub has done a lot to change this as kids in primary schools don't only have access to computers, they also have access to lives tools and technology that is used to create a lot of the apps and software they use on a daily basis.
PitchFriday - targetted at students from different higher institutions of learning who are currently on Industrial Training (IT). "Pitch Thursday give them the opportunity to work on project and pitch to a panel of judges who score them based on their presentations and milestones.
The students, most of whom have little or no programming knowledge prior to the events were trained by developers at the hub and given specific projects to work on in areas such as agriculture, health, human development, education, cybersecurity etc.
One of the greatest feelings is being in the midst of young people who want to change the world first by impacting their communities. Below are some of the comments we got from students from various institutions.
"This is my 1st time to pitch in front of an audience of over 80 people on a project and it was a great experience being the leader of my group with the topic ‘solving a problem of unemployment in the country using tech to decrease the rate" - Masa-Ibi Mary Shishi from Kwararafa Univerisity
She also added
“I have never been proud of being a Computer Science student but now I cannot wait to resume school as a Programmer because nHub has made me see the bright side of being the best you can be”
Abraham Musa from Federal University Lokoja had this to say
“I must say it is a privilege to be taught by nHub Nigeria, today’s Pitch Thursday has opened me to new ideas and a challenge by my mates. It is so clear am different from the way I came in here because am learning so fast that I cannot wait to become a world-class Developer someday”
“Pitch Thursday will help IT Students to think outside the box, build their confidence, develop pitching skills and exposing them to various project, design and development.” - Bashir Sheidu, Community Manager nHub NigeriaThe hub is doing a lot to transform the lives of the individuals in Jos Plateau State and a partnership with the state or federal government would go a long in making things a lot smoother for the people of the state and I and my team are looking forward to writing more amazing articles about this organization in the near future.
For more information about what nHub Nigeria is all about, watch the video below:
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