Kwara State and IHS, a towerco, are hoping to see the new Ilorin innovation hub create 10,000 direct and indirect jobs, focusing on digital skills, artificial intelligence, agricultural technology and energy innovation in the next few years.
They made this known yesterday in Ilorin at the kickoff programmes of the hub. The Ilorin innovation hub, covering a land mass of over 13,000 square meters, with seating capacity for over 1,000 users, has been designed and built as an ecosystem to help nurture creative talents, drive technological innovations, entrepreneurship and overall economic growth across Kwara and Nigeria in general.
The promoters said the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu administration’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’, which includes investing in the digital economy to stimulate local industries, enhance competitiveness, increase productivity and provide millions of Nigerians with new skills and long-term employment.
While the official commissioning is scheduled for a later date, the Chief Executive Officer, IHS Nigeria, Mohamad Darwish, said the partnership with the Kwara State Government to bring the hub to life is a testament to the commitment of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Kwara State Government and IHS Nigeria to supporting local innovation and empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs, developers and business leaders.
Darwish said the hub is more than just an edifice. It is an ecosystem designed to nurture creativity, equip young innovators with critical skills, and provide them with the resources they need to build scalable, impactful solutions.
“Unicorns are emerging globally, so the question to ask is why not from Ilorin? With state-of-the-art infrastructure, co-working spaces, accelerator programmes, and access to mentorship and funding, this hub will serve as a launchpad for groundbreaking ideas that will shape the future of Nigeria’s digital economy,” he stated.
According to him, the hope is to create 10,000 employers from the hub in the next few years.
Representing the Kwara State Governor, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr Mary Ayinde, said the state is becoming innovative, stressing that connectivity is key and that the state would do anything to ensure it is tech-driven.
The Chief Operating Officer of IHS, Kazeem Oladepo, said with the hub, more businesses are targeted to come out from the state as more jobs would be created.
Oladepo noted that as part of their commitment, IHS Nigeria is working with two programme managers, Co-creation Hub (CcHub) and Future Africa, to facilitate the rollout of programmes aimed at empowering startups, businesses, and young innovators with the tools to succeed in the digital economy.
He said CcHub, a leading pan-African creative and innovation ecosystem enabler will design and implement sustainable models to help build capacity for innovation, support top innovators and startups in the region, and strengthen the innovation ecosystem, further helping attract and connect key players.
