The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CcHUB

  • Experts identify significance of tech education on learning outcomes

    Experts identify significance of tech education on learning outcomes

    Experts drawn from the education sector have highlighted the crucial role of ed tech in the development of education vis-a-vis learning outcomes for students and teachers in Nigeria.

    This was the takeout at the August edition of Edtech Mondays, a Co-Creation Hub initiative (CCHUB) initiative in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation’s Centre for Innovative Teaching & Learning in ICT. 

    The engagement session titled “Assessing the Impact of Edtech on Learning Outcomes in Education” was moderated by Practice Lead, Education, CcHUB, Chinyelu Akpa.

    At a virtual panel session, Head, Africa programs, Kizazi, Rhoda Odibo, who is noted for supporting government and educational institutions in improving teaching and learning ecosystems through holistic education programmes, stated that the advent of Edtech solutions for learning had resulted in huge transformation in the education sector with technology now supporting personalised learning, remote learning, and data during instruction.

     Odibo stated that ed tech solutions have significantly impacted learning outcomes across various education verticals. 

    She disclosed that if ed tech solutions were implemented thoughtfully, there is a greater chance that their impact on learning outcomes would be profound, especially regarding personalised learning experiences.

    She explained that ed tech assessment for learning should not be limited to traditional metrics but rather a more holistic set of indicators such as student engagement, digital literacy, critical thinking, and social-emotional development, which are key to designing and adopting any ed tech solution.

    Also speaking, Learning and Development Manager, Kunda Kids, Cynthia Emenike, stated that ed tech products designed by the company were focused or primarily built on improving learning outcomes.

    Emenike said ed-tech solutions must be designed and adopted to impact learning and ensure that children’s development is not inhibited.

    According to her, collaboration between educators, students, teachers, and ed-tech designers is needed to ensure that children are not exposed to information that can harm them.

    In his remarks, education technology and development professional, Sunday Daniel, explained that, based on experience, the integration of technology has significantly impacted learning outcomes in low-income communities, with students and teachers now inspired to move away from conventional methods of learning.

    Daniel stressed further that it is easier to track improvement in learning outcomes as more tools are now enabled to assist both teachers and learners, thereby preventing any issue of plagiarism.

  • Obaseki’s reforms: Facebook, MainOne to invest in Edo, says Opeke

    The Chief Executive Officer of MainOne Cable Company, Funke Opeke, has said that the investment by Facebook and MainOne in broadband network infrastructure in Edo State is as a result of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s ease of doing business reforms and commitment to boosting productivity through technology.

    Opeke, who disclosed this in an interview with journalists, said that the project in Edo is part of Facebook’s mission to connect people around the world via the internet.

    MainOne has been laying fibre cables across the state since November last year, in what is seen as a major step to firm up the state’s burgeoning technology ecosystem, after the launch of the Edo Innovation Hub.

    READ ALSO: Obaseki’s reform: Edo tours forest reserves, decries degradation

    Noting that the investment is part of the 750km open-access fibre infrastructure in Nigeria implemented with MainOne, she said, “The overarching focus for Facebook is improving internet connectivity and empowering partner operators such as MainOne with the tools to build networks to connect more people.

    “With our partnership with Facebook, we have invested in building new infrastructure in states like Ogun and Edo that is open-access and can be used by all operators. You may recall that the major challenge impeding broadband proliferation in Nigeria is the limited access to distribution   infrastructure   to   get the abundant internet capacity available in submarine cables on the Nigerian shoreline in Lagos to the hinterland.”

    She said that the leadership in Edo State prioritises technology development, which is why the project was able to scale through in the state.

    According to her, “Our work brings our team in contact with the leadership in many of the states.  These particular states have leadership that is promoting the development of technology ecosystems and job creation in their states.  When we had the opportunity to engage and share with them our capabilities    and    accomplishments  on  previous  projects  in  places  such  as  the  deployment  of fibre infrastructure for Silicon Yaba  with  CCHub,  the  deployment   of   Express   Wi-Fi   with   Tizeti  in  Lagos  as  well  as  our aspirations for pervasive broadband   everywhere   in   Nigeria, they  welcomed  us  to  build  infrastructure in their states.

    “The Edo State government has prioritised technology as one of the cardinal pillars of the ongoing reform agenda in the state, introducing ICT-compliant pedagogy in primary schools; building the Edo Innovation Hub, where school leavers and graduates undergo beginner and advanced training in technology, as well as revamping technical education to increase productivity. The duo of Governors Godwin Obaseki and Ibikunle Amosun have identified ICT as critical  themes for the transformation of their states and have been supportive of our fibre expansions.”

  • EFInA, CcHub promote financial inclusion

    Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA), Nigeria’s leading financial sector development organisation and CcHub, hosted  a FinTech roundtable session in Lagos with the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman Charles Bowman; Financial sector regulators and financial technology (FinTech) companies and other stakeholders.

    During a presentation on ‘Financial inclusion, the regulatory landscape and opportunities for FinTechs to promote Financial Inclusion in Nigeria’, the Electronic Payment Specialist for EFInA, Folasade Agbejule, said “EFInA’s mission is to spur growth in the financial development sector by providing grants to financial services operators through the Innovation Fund.

    EFInA targets the economically deprived population by sharing risks with Financial Service Providers (FSPs) through its Technical Assistance Grant and the Innovation Grant subsidies to the amount of $250,000 and $2 million.

    As part of its mission to promote financial inclusion in Nigeria EFInA desires to improve the existing infrastructure in the financial sector so that  FinTechs can play  an increasing role in the efficient delivery of financial services to the un(der) banked in Nigeria.

    EFInA Board Chair, Segun Akerele, in his welcome address, emphasised the importance of the company’s partnership with the Department for International Development (DFID) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation while identifying foreign collaborations and regulatory principles that can catalyse and accelerate local growth in the financial service sector.

    Furthermore, he stated that the difficulties associated with access to financial services has led to a  large population of unbanked adults and  encouraged  FinTechs and financial service providers  to develop more innovative financial inclusive products. He also appealed to regulators to take  lessons from the United Kingdom’s regulatory principles.

    Managing Partner, CcHub Growth Capital Fund, Tunji Elesho commenced the round table discussion saying: “Our goal today is to explore the immense opportunities for growth in Nigeria’s FinTech ecosystem and that way, allow users improve their lives and take control of their financial situation”

  • Union Bank, CCHub partner

    Union Bank, CCHub partner

    Union Bank of Nigeria Plc is partnering with Co-Creation Hub (CCHub) to launch Centenary Innovation Challenge. The launch, announced in Lagos, is part of scheduled activities to mark the bank’s 100th anniversary this year.

    Building on the bank’s 100th anniversary theme: ‘Celebrate, Impact and Lead’, the Centenary Innovation Challenge is an initiative that will impact Nigeria by unearthing and supporting innovative ideas for addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in entrepreneurial ways.

    “The objective is to discover innovative, technology-driven ideas that will address critical social and business challenges in the country.  Proposals are therefore welcomed from university students, software developers, academics and entrepreneurs from across the six geopolitical zones and interested participants should visit the Challenge website – unionbank100.com/challenge – for details,” the bank said.

    Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank, Emeka Emuwa, stated that one of the core values of the bank is innovation; and just as innovation has been a key driver in enhancing customer experience for the bank, it is also relevant in solving social challenges.

    “We are committed to being at the leading edge of innovation, with emphasis on enhancing customer experience and driving social innovation. As we lead our institution into the next century, we will reinforce who we are; corporate citizens that drive true impact in our communities in the course of doing business.”

    CEO and Co-founder of the Co-Creation Hub, Bosun Tijani spoke positively about the Hub’s partnership with the Bank. He said “Based on our work over the past seven years, we have seen that there are very few credible platforms to leverage on to build sustainable businesses in Nigeria.

  • A platfom for young entrepreneurs

    A platfom for young entrepreneurs

    For Founders of Co-Creation Hub (CChub), a Lagos-based technology incubation centre, the future of business in Nigeria and her competitiveness on the world stage depends on young people setting up successful technology businesses. By backing them and their aspirations, Nigeria will be able compete and thrive in the global race, Daniel Essiet reports.

    AFTER 13 years’sojourn in the United States, where she re-

    ceived degrees, including an MBA from prestigous  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and worked for some Fortune 500 companies, Mrs Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola returned home to co-found a waste recycling company, Wecyclers, where she is the Chief Executive.

    Her vision was to transform lives by creating jobs for them and helping to build the economy.  She has succeeded.

    Her strategy was unusual – using a fleet of low-cost cargo bikes to collect waste. Another was the engagement of communities in recycling the waste by offering them incentives, such as premium on low-value materials – plastic bottles and sachets using low-cost cargo bicycles.The wecycles are designed , manufactured locally and are operated by youths from the  communities.

    The operators cover specific routes. They weigh the materials. The weight is entered into an SMS points platform to generate a personalised SMS. Wecyclers reward households with some points.The solution was not only innovative but self-sustaining. The company gave households a chance to capture value from their waste while providing a reliable supply of materials to the recycling industry.

    Though the initial funding of the Wecyclers  came from self-funding,  the organisation has grown and gained international recognition for its work in Lagos. At least, two multinationals are partnering with the group. Last year, one donated a van  and the other provided sponsorship for the improvement of the firm’s packaging.

    Wecyclers has made efforts to  eradicate inefficiencies in the recycling value chain by innovating in all aspects of the recycling  from pre-sorting and collection to post-sorting and processing of recyclates. Businesses like hers have uplifted the country, creating jobs and winning awards.

    These include the Cartier Women’s Initiative Award, Tech Award, Echoing Green Fellowship, MIT D-lab Scale-ups fellowship, MIT IDEAS Venture Grant, Yunus Challenge Prize at the MIT IDEAS Global Challenge Competition, and Carroll Wilson Fellowship.

    Since August 2012, Wecyclers has registered about 6,725 households in two Lagos, built 35 cargo bikes, created over 80 jobs, and rewarded  its subscribers with over $ 40,000 worth of gifts and cash prizes.

    But Mrs Adebiyi-Abiola owes a lot to Co-Creation Hub (CChub), a Yaba-based technology incubation centre dedicated to supporting aspiring entrepreneurs. She is one of the entrepreneurs, whose company has been offered incubation space by CChub. A major attraction for aspiring young entrepreneurs, CCHub was established by two visioners – Bosun Tijani and Femi Longe – in October 2010 as social innovation centre.

    Today,  CcHUB is the nation’s first open living lab and pre-incubation space where creative social tech ventures take place. Mrs Adebiyi-Abiola believes that the story of tech entrepreneurship in Nigeria is incomplete without mentioning CCHub.

    Much more than a co-working space, the hub is an oasis of calmness, conviviality and creativity in the Centre of Excellence. It is a rendezvous for technologists, social entrepreneurs, government, tech firms, and investors in and around Lagos where they find find solutions to  societal problems.

    In partnership with some individuals and organisations, CC hub has made it a priority to foster an entrepreneurial spirit among its talented professionals by setting up an environment to help them flourish. It provides resources for new businesses to get started. So far, CChub has helped more than profitable 20 ventures.

    These include Wecyclers, BudgIT, Traclist,VacantBoard,Truppr  andAutoBox. Other include  jobsinnigeria.com.ng, wayopedia,www.caban.com.ng and  Asà. Many of them are profitable.

    The fledgling businesses get perks through partner organisations, such as money from an angel fund, technical support and web hosting services. They amenities include office space and Internet access. It also holds workshops, hackathons and networking events.

    Some of the entrepreneurs incubated at the hub are  assisted to update their skills and knowledge and to explore new opportunities. In the last two years, the promoters of the project have added new components to the process, including the business development procedure, to make the programme more effective for innovators.

    The innovators, which are given incubating space, receive professional business development assistance in commercialising their technological innovations and finding them suitable business partners in Nigeria as well as in global markets. The hub presents incubates with a list of partners, venture funding firms and angel investors.

    In its first six  months, the hub attracted more than  450 active community members – who participated in its open living labs, events and trainings; more than 80 daily users of the hub – who work and leverage its resources for their ventures/projects; 21 start-ups and projects in pre-incubation – being mentored and supported by CcHUB and its network of partners and about 20 active corporate members – which provide support to its goal of harnessing creativity for social change.

    CcHub has taken seven percent equity in its portfolio startups, which has reached eight. They include Traclist, Truppr, Wecyclers,Vacantboards and BudgIT. Its first venture graduated last December.

    To support start-ups in their technological innovation drive, CcHUB and  the Bank of Industry (BoI)  have partnered to raise a $1 million seed investment fund to help small businesses to create social impact in the technology ecosystem.

    Under the deal, the bank has made an investment of $200,000 to aid equity capital for emerging businesses. Indeed, the social innovation fund aims to provide equity capital, with  support to early stage and fast-growing businesses involved in technology and services sectors.

    Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and co-founder, CcHUB, Bosun Tijani said: “CcHUB incubation office was launched in response to the need to provide business development, mentoring and funding support to start-ups that showed traction from our impactful pre-incubation programme.

    ‘’Our seed investment ensures start-ups have a sure footing post-incubation to concentrate on rapidly executing their plans and learning from the market.” In addition, the hub leads co-creation initiatives aimed at creating novel technologically driven solutions to the myriad social challenges facing the average Nigerian.”

    Recently, CcHUB boosted its incubation programme with the launch of a $500,000 seed investment fund to support early stage startups over the next two years. Startups will receive cash ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 to support business model experimentation and operations.

    The hub’s Nokia-CcHUB Growth Academy is a first of its kind business accelerator programme in Africa. It is dedicated to providing intensive continuous hands-on support to help about 30 early stage mobile technology start-ups grow into high growth businesses and build world-class mobile applications.

    The programme consists of three parts – training, app development and launch of world-class mobile apps for Nokia platform. Selected participants undergo hands-on, structured business and technical training to grow their ideas.The programme is delivered with Futurice, a leading global mobile software organisation from Finland.

    CcHUB has launched an initiative to assess the technical talent gap in the country  in a bid to identify, evaluate, and prioritise current and anticipated gaps in the IT workforce. Since inception, CcHub has established partnerships with some stakeholders, including Omidyar Network, Google, Nokia, The Tony Elumelu Foundation, BlackBerry, Schmidt Family Foundation and Samsung.

    Apart from the challenges faced by start-ups, the hub spends over $2,000 monthly on maintaining a generator. Also, due to lack of infrastructure, the hub paid over $25,000 for wireless equipment despite enjoying a free yearly Internet supply worth $80,000 from Main One Cable Company.

  • How students use their phones – Research

    How students use their phones – Research

    A recent research has revealed that students in Nigeria spend at least 10 per cent of their allowances on mobile internet data.

    The research was conducted by Co-Creation Hub’s (CcHub) Mobile Experience Centre in the ‘How I use my phone’ series, a series which seeks to understand the pattern of mobile phone usage among different Nigerian demographics.

    According to CcHub, the purpose of the research, which is to understand the pattern of mobile phone usage among different demographics of Nigeria, will generate information that would be useful to researchers and other stakeholders who build mobile services and products targeted at the Nigerian student market.

    The firm added, “the long-term goal for this project is to contribute to a better understanding of mobile phone end-users in Nigeria to enable decision making guided by empirical data”.

    “It also plans to release more editions in order to identify similarities and disparities in the way mobile phones are used by users in different demographics.”

    While previous editions of ‘How I Use My Phone’ focused on market traders and working professionals in Nigeria, this segment for students, which is yet the largest in the series, featured over 5000 student participants.

    The research population, according to the firm, was drawn from across various Nigerian institutions with a larger percentage of them coming from University of Lagos and Yaba College of Technology.

    “Key findings of the survey revealed that students use their phones mainly to interact on the various social media platforms ranging from WhatsApp, Blackberry messenger (BBM) to Facebook, to mention but few since these are the top three most used platforms.

    “Furthermore, it was revealed that 89.6 percent of students subscribe regularly to internet bundles in order to stay in touch on social media, while about 49.1 percent of them however acknowledged browsing on the web to be the most common use of their internet data.

    “The results of the survey reflected that students constitute a high percentage of multiple mobile phone users.  44 percent of the students own two or more mobile phones, attributing network issues, multiple SIM cards and extra battery life as the three top reasons for multiple phone ownership. In addition, the average monthly allowance of students between the age of 17 and 24 is N5000 – 10,000 with 79 percent of students spending at least 10 percent of these monthly allowances on purchasing internet data,” CcHub explained.

     

  • Group launches $.5m seed investment fund

    CoCreation Hub Nigeria has launched a $500,000 seed investment fund to support early stage start-ups over the next two years. Start-ups will receive sums ranging from $10,000 – $25,000 to support business model experimentation and operations.

    Initial beneficiaries of the fund,the  organisation  listed  include  Vacantboards, Truppr, Traclist, 500shops and GeniiGames. The announcement comes on the occasion of first anniversary of its incubation office which among other services, provides entrepreneurs with mentorship, user testing, access to markets, office space and administration.

    The initial beneficiaries of the seed investment went through CcHUB’s Pre-Incubation programme   which identified and supported aspiring technology entrepreneurs looking to address local market problems with relevant solutions.

    Through the $90,000 Tony Elumelu Foundation/CcHUB pre-seed fund, beneficiaries started out with a grant award of $5,000 each to support their ideas, build working prototypes, carry out initial market testing & proof their concepts. These ideas grew steadily, earning revenues, increasing their user bases and building partnerships hence needing a different kind of support.

    CEO & Co-founder of CcHUB, Bosun Tijani said: “CcHUB incubation office launched in response to the need to provide business development, mentoring and funding support to start-ups that showed traction from our impactful Pre-incubation program. Our seed investment ensures startups have a sure footing post-Preincubation to concentrate on rapidly executing their plans and learning from the market.”

    Director of Incubation ,Tunji Eleso said: “Discussions are already underway with investors to provide additional funding to two of our initial beneficiaries and we hope to break the news in the coming months. We welcome startups looking to transform the way Nigerians live, play and do business to apply to join our portfolio via http://cchubnigeria.com/pre- incubation.”