The Israeli government has announced that it has opened 40 startup opportunities for Nigerian innovators to enhance their potential for productivity and investment to strengthen the capacity for skill development of Nigerian inventors.
This was the crux of the deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel, Sharren Miriam Haskel-Harpaz’s visit to the facilities at Innov8 during the 4th Graduation Ceremony of the Innovation Fellowship For Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (i-FAIR ) for young Nigerians held at the Innov8 hub in Abuja on Tuesday.
The minister, who was accompanied by the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, the Executive Secretary of the TETFUND, Sonny Echono, and other dignitaries, said Innov8 has, over the years, served as an incubator for brilliant Nigerians to exhibit their talents in startups in varied fields using technology to provide solutions for common problems.
She said, “Giving opportunity to brilliant minds in Nigeria in different fields of energy, agriculture, and recycling is advancing humanity,” adding that the knowledge in Nigeria will enhance the capability of the people for productivity in areas of skill acquisition.
She noted that the enormous talents in startups in Nigeria can be exported to the world, stressing that this is the true revolution that will lead to job creation and boost the economy and investment through startups.
“We are opening this project with another 40 start-ups that will be able to apply for a new programme and a new internship that will revive the Nigerian brilliant and creative minds to apply for this programme to make their dream come true, to learn skills and develop them to advance humanity and advance their country,” she said.
The TETFUND boss, Echono, said Nigeria has the potential and demographic dividends that it needs to harness to make the nation great and help diversify the economy “through innovation, creativity, investment, efficient exploitation, and value addition.”
