Nigerian government partners JICA to launch iHatch, a startup incubation program
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), through its subsidiary, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) in partnership with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is set to launch iHatch, a startup incubation program aimed at increasing the number of innovation-driven enterprises by Nigerian youths.
This might not be unconnected with the gains that Nigeria recorded in 2021, as the African powerhouse came top on the list of African countries that had the highest number of deals across the continent in 2021 with total investment deals surpassing 480 in 2021.
A 5-month free intensive startup incubation program, iHatch is aimed at increasing the number of innovation-driven enterprises by young Nigerians. The program is designed to help Nigerian entrepreneurs perfect their business ideas through a series of teaching, coaching, and boot camps, to generate viable and scalable business models.
iHatch is a startup incubation program aimed at increasing the number of innovation-driven enterprises by Nigerian youths. It also aims to support entrepreneurs that use creative commercial services and products to address social challenges.
It will equally create a model incubation program and expand it to other states in Nigeria. The program will strengthen the technological ecosystem by centering support on selected IT sectors. It establishes connections between the startups and investors/corporations and boosts the number of successful businesses to improve employment rates in the country.
A statement signed by the Head, Corporate Affairs and External Relations of NITDA, Mrs Hadiza Umar, said the incubation program will provide an opportunity for startups that have innovative business ideas along with a prototype of their products or services.
iHatch seeks to establish a program that will accelerate the process of taking ideas to impact, hence providing the much-needed jobs for our teeming youths, and also nurturing that entrepreneurial spirit in them, which will catalyze the Nigerian digital economy to the next level,” said Malam KashifuInuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, the Director-General/CEO of NITDA.
NITDA said participating startups will receive free offline and online interactive training from experienced coaches and mentors from over the world. Other benefits include free co-working space for the duration of the program and investment opportunities.
The agency has opened a portal for online applications that will run from the 6th to 31st of January 2022.
The selection process will run for the whole of February, while successful candidates will commence training from March 1st to 22nd of July 2022.