Netherlands to Spend ¤35,000 on Seven Nigerian Start-ups

• Netherlands to Spend ¤35,000 on Seven Nigerian Start-ups

The government of the Netherlands on Monday said it would fund seven technology start-ups in the country, adding that the selected start-ups would emerge from the crowd-funding boot camp initiative that would hold in Nigeria.

According to government officials and Information Technology experts from the Netherlands, the sum of ¤5,000 has been earmarked for each of the seven software developers whose business ideas are found impactful for the growth of Nigeria and other African countries.

Our correspondent learnt that some of the Nigerian tech start-ups with brilliant ideas that could transform the economy in Nigeria and other developing countries had already gathered in the boot camp.

The experts from the Netherlands are mentoring them at the Co-creation Hub, in the Yaba area of Lagos State.

The Dutch programme facilitator, Thijs van Bemmel, said the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “with the aim to empower African youths in developing their talents and skills required to compete in the 21st century and create a future for them,” funded the initiative.

He said, “The Next Economy believes in the ability of African youths to dream and bring their concepts to reality, thereby changing their lives, the lives of the people around them and eventually with enough push, Africa at large.”

The Next Economy carries out its objectives by promoting three schemes aimed at encouraging employability, entrepreneurship and business skills, which are essential for a successful career and life as an entrepreneur, according to him.

The Director of Programmes, Cc-Hub, Femi Longe, said the crowd funding was targeted at early stage start-ups, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises and entrepreneurs in need of funds to kick-start or scale up their businesses and bring their ideas to reality.

He said, “Crowd funding has a lot of potential as a unit of generating capital, but it is necessary for whoever is designing to campaign to create value and ask themselves what value they are creating that will make people willing to donate to their cause in good faith.”The government of the Netherlands on Monday said it would fund seven technology start-ups in the country, adding that the selected start-ups would emerge from the crowd-funding boot camp initiative that would hold in Nigeria.

According to government officials and Information Technology experts from the Netherlands, the sum of ¤5,000 has been earmarked for each of the seven software developers whose business ideas are found impactful for the growth of Nigeria and other African countries.

Our correspondent learnt that some of the Nigerian tech start-ups with brilliant ideas that could transform the economy in Nigeria and other developing countries had already gathered in the boot camp.

The experts from the Netherlands are mentoring them at the Co-creation Hub, in the Yaba area of Lagos State.

The Dutch programme facilitator, Thijs van Bemmel, said the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “with the aim to empower African youths in developing their talents and skills required to compete in the 21st century and create a future for them,” funded the initiative.

He said, “The Next Economy believes in the ability of African youths to dream and bring their concepts to reality, thereby changing their lives, the lives of the people around them and eventually with enough push, Africa at large.”

The Next Economy carries out its objectives by promoting three schemes aimed at encouraging employability, entrepreneurship and business skills, which are essential for a successful career and life as an entrepreneur, according to him.

The Director of Programmes, Cc-Hub, Femi Longe, said the crowd funding was targeted at early stage start-ups, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises and entrepreneurs in need of funds to kick-start or scale up their businesses and bring their ideas to reality.

He said, “Crowd funding has a lot of potential as a unit of generating capital, but it is necessary for whoever is designing to campaign to create value and ask themselves what value they are creating that will make people willing to donate to their cause in good faith.”