Oluremi Tinubu inaugurates $10.4m startup hub in Abuja

First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has performed the foundation-laying ceremony for a startup hub in Wuye, Abuja, as part of efforts to promote youth empowerment, technological advancement and digital inclusion.

The facility is a partnership between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Speaking at the ceremony on Friday, Mrs Tinubu said the project aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises entrepreneurship, skills development and sustainable job creation for young Nigerians.

She said the hub would provide young innovators with the opportunity to develop their ideas into marketable products and compete in the global economy.

“To our young innovators, this Start-Up Hub is yours. You can arrive here with a sketch and leave with a working prototype that takes you into the global market space. Let this hub be the home where your dreams are nurtured and scaled,” she said.

The First Lady commended the Japanese government for its support, describing the partnership as evidence of confidence in Nigeria’s digital economy and youth population.

She said the establishment of startup hubs across the country was an important step towards expanding opportunities for young people and strengthening the country’s technological capacity.

In his remarks, NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said the agency’s partnership with JICA, which began in 2021, had focused on strengthening Nigeria’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.