Selected tech entrepreneurs in Nigeria are set to enjoy entrepreneurial mentorship and support courtesy of a partnership between global tech giant Microsoft and Nigeria’s Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB). The partnership culminates in the launch of Windows Insiders for Good (#WINsiders4Good) Fellowship at the CcHUB office in Yaba, Lagos.
The partnering organizations said the announcement signifies the first step by the program to deepen its relationship with Africa, starting with Nigeria. By partnering with CcHub, Microsoft is able to make opportunities to become open to Nigerian entrepreneurs who have brilliant ideas that they want to use to change their world. As such, the Winsiders4Good fellowship will support twenty Nigerian entrepreneurs seeking to improve the lives of Nigerians.
Speaking at the official launch event held in Lagos and attended by TechCity, the Director of Software Engineering at Microsoft Corp, Bambo Sofola, said WINsiders4Good focuses on how to use technology to solve complex problems.
“We have thousands of Windows Insiders in Nigeria, and tens of thousands across Africa. We want to collaborate more closely with them and other Windows users to make this a truly international product. One in seven Africans is Nigerian, computer usage is soaring, and tech centers like Yaba represent a manifestation of that growth. We think it is a great time and place to learn from like-minded techies and entrepreneurs who are solving complex problems and creating opportunities in Lagos and greater Nigeria,” said Sofola.
Following the announcement of the fellowship, the partners also disclosed that application for the WINsiders4Good Fellowship is on and will close on 10th October 2016. To apply, seeking to apply should visit http://winsiderfellows.com for more information and the application form.
TechCity gathered that entrepreneurs who qualify for the Fellowship program will receive Microsoft hardware, software and six months of tailored technical mentorship to help bring their innovative ideas to life, while also allowing them to collaborate with the world’s largest community of people who use simple technology to solve problems.
Confirming this, Sofola said: “Microsoft and CcHUB will connect entrepreneurs to a global community of people like them, prioritize and fix the technical issues that can hinder them from reaching their goal, provide mentors for technical and strategic questions for six months, and provide hardware and software to bring their ideas to life.”
Speaking on behalf of CcHub, Co-Founder, Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), Femi Longe, noted that the future of young Nigerians is in technology and there is every need to create platforms that will help them access and conquer their future needs and challenges.
“Collaborating with Microsoft will allow entrepreneurs across Nigeria to expand their possibilities, while exposing them to other entrepreneurs in the global space, which will eventually increase their competitive chances,” said Longe.
