IHS Towers to renovate vandalised NCC park in Kano

• InfraCo sponsors hackathon for Ilorin innovation hub
Eleven weeks after the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Innovation Park in Kano was looted and vandalised by protesters during the August 1, 2024 ‘#Endbadgovernance’ protest, the place is now set for renovation.

Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, yesterday, revealed that the renovation would be handled by telecommunications infrastructure company, IHS Towers.

According to the minister, who announced the development via a post on X handle, the park is not just a building, but a symbol of the city and Nigeria’s aspirations to be at the forefront of global digital economy. He said the facility would serve over 300 Kano youths, who are currently benefitting from the government’s Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme.

The initiative, he noted, is training three million Nigerians in digital and technical skills to ensure the country is not just a participant, but a leader in the global technology space.

Tijani recalled that he had in August promised to quickly restore the facility for the benefit of Nigerians, including the 3MTT Nigeria fellows, who were meant to use the park for their applied and hands-on learning.

His words: “I am pleased, therefore, to announce that we have received the support of IHS Towers, as it has committed to the full renovation of the location so we can finally put it to good use.

“To all our 3MTT fellows in Kano, as I said yesterday, you, together with many young people across Nigeria, represent the future of the global digital workforce, and your dreams and aspirations are valid.”

In a related development, IHS Nigeria is sponsoring an Art Hackathon as part of activities leading up to the commissioning of the Ilorin Innovation Hub.The Art Hackathon is a celebration of creativity and innovation among young enterprising Nigerians. Artists from Kwara State and across Nigeria are invited to submit works that resonate with the themes of innovation, creativity and local community development, and display high technical proficiency.

Selected artists would receive a cash prize of N500,000 for each work chosen, and have their artworks displayed in the Ilorin Innovation Hub, providing an opportunity to leave their own legacy at the hub.

Entries close on November 14.
The Ilorin Innovation Hub, a state-of-the-art 3,000ft facility, is an initiative of the Kwara State government, developed in partnership with IHS Nigeria. The hub would run programmes that seek to foster technological advancement, entrepreneurship, and overall economic growth across the region, and Nigeria in general.

SVP and Chief Operating Officer, IHS Nigeria, Kazeem Oladepo, commented: “Art and technology define and continue to reshape the world we live in. Today, the rapid expansion of digital technology is changing the art world in new ways, and vice versa, through the advent of innovative digital tools. It is this unique relationship between creativity and science that influenced our decision to include an Art Hackathon leading up to the opening of the Ilorin Innovation Hub. We are proud to work with the Kwara State government on this initiative, which also aligns with our ambition of promoting local talent and creating opportunities for young people in the region. I look forward to the various expressions of creativity that this event will showcase.”