Microsoft has partnered with Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) to groom 20 technology startups in the country.
Specifically, the startups, which would be incubated for about six months, are expected to develop solutions that would solve social problems, especially in Lagos.
The two bodies explained that the partnership is an entrepreneurial mentorship and support programme through an initiative termed Windows Insiders for Good (#WINsiders4Good) Fellowship.
The announcement marked the first step by the program to deepen its relationship with Africa, starting with Nigeria. The partnership with CcHUB is meant to open opportunities to Nigerian entrepreneurs who have brilliant ideas that they want to use to change their world.
According to Director of Software Engineering, Microsoft Corp, Bambo Sofola, 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,” Sofola stated.
Application for the WINsiders4Good Fellowship is on and will close on 10th October 2016. Nigerians seeking to apply should visit http://winsiderfellows.com for more information and the application form.
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 stated that “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 alongside Bambo Sofola, 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.
