When you talk about tech ecosystems in Nigeria, what automatically comes to mind is Lagos, dubbed Africa’s Silicon Valley, with Yaba, a colonial-era suburb of the city at the centre of this growth.
For context, there were at least 425 startups — including five unicorns — in Lagos as of last August, according to a report by Disrupt Africa.
The success of tech startups in Lagos is tied to infrastructure and access to local and foreign VC funding. But, Lagos, for all the good things we can say about it, is chaotic, thanks to its endless traffic jams and growing large population.
Recently, tech ecosystems are beginning to spring up in other parts of Nigeria as alternatives to Lagos. Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, is one such place. For our Policy and Tech series, Technext caught up with Temi Kolawole, the Managing Director of the Ilorin Innovation Hub, a government-backed initiative designed to drive the growth of innovation and technology in the state, to discuss the tech hub that is underway in Kwara as well as government support for startups in the North-central state.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What thinking led to the creation of the Ilorin Innovation Hub, and what have been its achievements so far?
For me, it was a thing of passion. I have always wanted to start a tech hub or workspace in Ilorin. Luckily for me, I was fortunate to meet the current governor when he just assumed office, and I shared my plans with him. In fact, I already started something on a small scale. As someone who understands the value of tech and digital skills, the governor was invested in the idea of setting up a hub but at a much larger scale.
Since our launch in 2020, we have done quite a bit. First, the state government has invested in building a structure for the Innovation Hub. The construction started around the pandemic. Though they were some initial deals, we are confident that the structure will be ready by the middle of the year.
In terms of activities, we have had some campus outreach programs. We have free tech courses that people can take on our online platform. Just recently, we organized an E-Government Hackathon which was a huge success, attracting thousands of visitors from all over the country. The two-day event gave a platform for young people to showcase their skills and innovation, as the contestants came up with various solutions to improve government operations.
Though the Innovation Hub is a government-funded project, once the building is ready, it will be run by the private sector. We are already in talks with some interested parties from the end of the private sector.
According to its website, Ilorin Innovation Hub has two major focus areas: Startup Growth Program and Tech Skills Program. Can you talk about them?
The Startup Growth program is more like an incubation program for startups. The assumption is that you must already have the skills to build startups. It’s more like an advanced program for those who have already built products. We have put that on hold as we await the completion of the physical structure of the Hub. We will also be bringing in private sector partners that will help us run that program, so it won’t be only government-driven anymore.
The Tech Skills program is basically designed to learn basic tech skills. It’s targeted at tech enthusiasts. The courses are majorly the basics of programming, such as Javascript and Python. However, we will add some other courses on data analytics and artificial intelligence in the near future.
The program is currently virtual and available on Ilorin.tech and the courses are currently free. Maybe later in the future, when we start the physical classes, we will have paid courses. So far, a few hundred people have completed our courses and gotten certified.
Read also: Tubosun Alake discusses government intervention and challenges of tech in Lagos.
Tell us more about the E-Government hackathon and the problem you tried to solve with the initiative
To be honest, I think there have been some conversations about government processes and automation and how the Innovation Hub can solve some of the problems that the government is facing. After a survey, we came up with a list of challenges from various aspects of government that we think can be solved using technology and innovation. That was the reasoning behind the hackathon.
Our contestants worked on projects including letter and memo tracking systems, data capturing systems, and medical record systems for hospitals, election monitoring systems, among others. The plan was to revolutionize the way government operates in Nigeria and support local talent in the digital space. In essence, we weren’t just trying to cater to the local market alone, we were also trying to create opportunities that connect Kwara and Ilorin to the outside bigger market.
Through the hackathon, we were able to discover talent. For instance, one of the teams that emerged winners was made up of kids between the ages of 13-15. We even had a huge girl-to-boy ratio.
How is Ilorin Innovation Hub addressing the talent gap in the Nigerian tech ecosystem?
Apart from the fact that we have noticed that a number of tech talent now reside in Kwara State, there is also the general problem in the tech industry that has seen startups lose their workers to the Japa wave.
So if we can encourage more young people to learn tech skills, I believe that there will be a lot more people to fill in the talent pipeline. Looking at the issue from another point of view, there is also the problem of most startups in Nigeria being situated in Lagos. I believe that Ilorin is a more affordable option for tech workers.
What you will pay as yearly rent in Lagos will cover the same in Ilorin for like four years. Also, you aren’t going to spend hours in traffic in Ilorin like in Lagos.
Beyond our regular programs, we are looking at welcoming startups to have their teams work from our Hub or be based in Ilorin. With regard to the talent pipeline, we will be able to have more affordable software engineers and other tech talents. Hiring talent in Ilorin won’t be as expensive as in Lagos. We are trying to position Ilorin — and Kwara State — as a more cost-effective alternative.
Read also: Oswald Osaretin Guobadia tasks players in the Nigerian tech ecosystem with political involvement
Are there policies in Kwara State that are focused on enabling startups?
There’s a new law currently in the works to establish the Kwara State Innovation and Information Technology Agency that will oversee all the innovation hubs in the state because this [Ilorin Innovation Hub] will not be the last. There will be more in other parts of the state.
The Agency will equally regulate telecommunications operations in the state with regard to masts and the laying of fibre cables. We are also in touch with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA to domesticate the Nigerian Startup Act.
Also, we have had a number of regulations to expand the telecoms infrastructure in the state because we know the importance of good telecoms services to the operations of startups.
The state government, sometime in 2019, slashed the fees for laying fibre cables. That helped a number of service providers to expand their networks within the state which has in turn, created an enabling environment for the digital economy.
Let’s assume I’m a founder looking for a market to expand to; why should I come to Ilorin?
I’d say Kwara State will be the perfect place to test your idea in the market without spending too much. Operational costs in Lagos are high, and running your startup in cities like Lagos will cost much more than in Ilorin. I am very confident that the same type of market structure or audience you will get in Lagos regarding young people is available in Ilorin.
Also, there is much more sanity in Ilorin, without the traffic and congestion of bigger cities, affordable cost of living, and less operating cost. Ilorin is the best place to test your idea without breaking the bank. Ilorin is an affordable city to live in and run a business. You can even get cheaper tech talent here.
How would you describe the relationship between the Kwara State government and the startups based in the state?
Before now, there was really no relationship. Like they have been doing in most parts of the country, startups just enter the market without much government support. Now there is a bridge we are trying to build between the government and startups — and even young entrepreneurs.
As I stated earlier, we will be domesticating the Nigeria Startup Act, which will create incentives for startups. That’s one way of bridging the gap. Similarly, our recent E-Government Hackathon brought together founders and young tech talents to develop solutions to help government processes.
What’s the future of the tech ecosystem in Kwara State?
The future of tech in Kwara State is very bright. The Innovation Hub is just a starting point; a few other projects are in the works. For example, there is a visual arts centre as well as a film studio. I strongly believe that Kwara State will become a haven for creative talents in the nearest future.
Read also: Who has the best tech plans for Nigeria; Tinubu, Obi or Atiku?
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