Before now, dwelling in Ekiti as a younger tech fanatic would imply having to assess high quality tech abilities coaching, job alternatives, enterprise capital funding and startup accelerator packages outdoors of the landlocked state. ‘Happening locations’ like Lagos are scorching havens the place younger folks within the state migrate to — to be higher positioned to actively take part in Nigeria’s fast-booming tech sector. And right here’s merely the fact of those that can’t afford the related bills: they keep behind and make do with free or inexpensive on-line assets whereas nonetheless unemployed and struggling to discover distant jobs.
It might curiosity you to know that the current unemployment price in Ekiti state stands at 32.21%, in accordance to the most recent labour drive statistics launched by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). In truth, in accordance to information from Stears, Ekiti has solely 10% (2 million folks) of Lagos’ inhabitants (20 million folks) — but unemployment in Ekiti is sort of as excessive as in Lagos. Barring the financial energy of the latter, this merely implies that the unemployment price in Ekiti may be very excessive in relation to its inhabitants measurement — fairly ironic for a state widely-acclaimed as Nigeria’s information capital. Also, there nonetheless exhibits one other layer of problem: even when tech-enabled corporations come to Ekiti to arrange and create jobs, there’s a scarcity of an employable talent pool readily geared up, upskilled and accessible to serve their enterprise operational wants.
But there may be now a silver lining to the long-standing darkish clouds. The current Government of Ekiti State has proven that these worrisome tendencies mustn’t all the time be the case — significantly with its funding in viable infrastructures wanted to entice non-public sector capital and energy a knowledge-based financial system by the Ekiti Knowledge Zone (EKZ), Nigeria’s first service-based Special Economic Zone. Good that the sub-national authorities responded to the basis trigger with a public-private partnership (PPP) technique. With TechCabal Insights because the implementing companion, an on-site coding boot camp and software program development programme was piloted for 50 aspiring ‘tech bros and sis.’ And I need to say, it was a approach to go as a foundational and well-localized method to future-proof the potential of the teeming younger and impressive inhabitants within the state for the worldwide market.
I received an opportunity to take part within the inaugural cohort of the fully-funded coaching for 4 months with entry to the mandatory amenities. With hopes for brand spanking new studying experiences, I grew to become a part of the venture’s take-off as proof of idea that tech talent development can thrive within the state for the rising calls for of the long run of work. The programme featured a hybrid studying supply mannequin with 90% bodily lessons and with a college of knowledgeable tutors from Utiva. All of them had been thorough and interesting in coaching the individuals on Frontend & Backend Fundamentals, and Database Management — with assignments for steady assessments, further coaching on smooth abilities, positioning for tech job alternatives and LinkedIn profile optimization, and as properly capstone tasks to work on.
An fulfilling and interactive UI/UX Design class session with Motolani Cephas, studying how to use Figma.
For me and others, the programme was price each time dedication invested to obtain the focused studying outcomes. And I’m hopeful we are going to maximize the in-demand tech abilities acquired to acquire first rate jobs and likewise navigate avenues to construct worthwhile, problem-solving startup corporations.
The startups all of us constructed on the stage of Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) ranged from agric-tech, civic-tech, e-commerce, on-line classroom, health-tech, and many others. And they had been showcased as homegrown digital options to challenges Ekiti residents face on the Demo Day, marking the top of the software program development programme.
My group developed a startup that goals to join Ekiti native farmers with buyers inside and out of doors the state. We named the platform FarmJoin, and it’ll exist to serve the big but untapped agrarian group in Ekiti and scale their agricultural productiveness to obtain meals safety with entry to funding alternatives. This will complement the federal government’s funding drive within the agricultural sector to increase yield for arable and livestock farmers within the state’s Special Agricultural Processing Zone to meet their rising scale of manufacturing. Our strategic focus might be on the well-known Igbemo rice Ekiti is understood for, cocoa, cassava, yam, poultry farms and the federal government’s joint-venture, Ikun Dairy Farm. It was attention-grabbing for my workforce of artistic younger people to work on such an vital venture with progress prospects to scale and catalyze impression. Also, it was a enjoyable journey for me to have labored on the UI/UX design workforce to guarantee a compelling visible expertise for customers.
Home web page of FarmJoin’s web site.
Agro-investments made straightforward and accessible on the digital platform.
Demo Day’s pitch of FarmJoin.
My takeaway from all of the startups all of us pitched on the Demo Day was the unimaginable potential of expertise to positively rework our lives, societies and small companies. And I consider as gifted youth, this period is our golden hour to discover, put together and innovate for the long run expertise is main our ever-evolving world to. On the entire, I spotted there are new vistas of alternatives abound to create with tech in high-unemployment markets and high-potential economies like that of Ekiti. More than something, younger folks might be on the coronary heart of main and powering such transformations.
I perceive investments in human capital development by governments take lengthy durations to mature and even ship tangible outcomes. As the present authorities transitions, I sincerely hope the incoming administration in Ekiti sustains the political will for tech talent development tasks and consolidates the efforts made up to now. And most significantly, I hope the federal government doesn’t solely prioritize ease-of-doing-business insurance policies but in addition ensures recurrent spending on extra PPP-driven abilities development incubators to increase the financial development of the state and facilitate the upward mobility of its residents.
It’s additionally excellent news that the federal government hopes to cultivate and implement the Nigeria Startup Bill (NSB), as this may assist present a beneficial surroundings for the emergence and bloom of indigenous, high-growth tech startups based mostly within the state. My personal coverage advice: the Ekiti State authorities can take into account including “Coding” as a topic to secondary faculties’ ICT curriculum throughout the state, taking a cue from a latest transfer by the Kenyan authorities. This is coupled with guaranteeing there’s a system for the scholars to virtually and repeatedly apply their coding abilities.
There is a complete lot extra work to stream by the talent development pipeline, and the lengthy journey forward has, in reality, solely begun. But with the Ekiti Coding Bootcamp set on the transfer in high gear, we are able to solely look again in years to come to see the distinction it might contribute to making Ekiti a horny vacation spot of best choice for native and international buyers in key technology-powered sectors. This can even bridge the innovation hole to chart pathways to creating tech ecosystems and hubs for Ekiti to stay to its true heritage of being a society pushed by information.
Super enthusiastic about what’s subsequent for us and significantly what turns into of the progress trajectory of this mission going ahead. Many thanks to all of the organizers, companions, venture managers, tutors and co-participants for such an unimaginable and enriching expertise.
If you’re a tech fanatic in Ekiti all for buying coding abilities and networking with different software program builders, you’ll be able to be part of the registration wait-list for the subsequent cohort right here. Given the success of the pioneer version, this boot camp comes extremely really helpful and I consider it’s going to solely get higher because it continues on a much bigger scale.
Ayomide Agbaje is a contract author with pursuits in enterprise, expertise, governance and coverage advocacy.
Get the perfect African tech newsletters in your inbox
https://techcabal.com/2022/08/16/a-part-of-ekitis-path-to-talent-development/