Queens Borough partners Lagos to drive cross-border innovations

Queens Borough of New York City, the United States, has partnered Lagos State Government to drive cross-border technological innovations, provide access to funding for Nigerian startups as well as foster entrepreneurial and economic growth between the two cities.

The partnership is a learning exchange alliance aimed at inspiring mutual collaboration, highlighting shared interests and setting the stage for a prosperous and inclusive partnership for future joint initiatives that will create a lasting impact on the innovation ecosystems of both Lagos and Queens Borough.

Speaking during the tech ecosystem event organised to foster entrepreneurship and economic growth between Lagos and New York City, the President of Queens Borough, New York, Donovan Richards, said only 12 per cent of the jobs in tech in the U.S. are occupied by black folks.

He said the Queens Borough – Lagos State alliance would bridge the gap by giving more opportunities to the black and Africans to access funding, cross-order opportunities and expand their markets beyond the shores of Lagos and New York and become global solution providers.

Richards said Lagos is the leading tech and innovation ecosystem on the African continent and deserves the needed cross-border collaboration for access to capital to help entrepreneurs, innovators, and policymakers scale up and create sustainable solutions for larger inclusion and economic growth.

“Lagos is a hub for black brilliance, black leadership, black innovation and black participation, and we are creating such partnerships and pipelines to help more people of colour get tech funding,” he added

The former Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Innovation and Technology, Olatunbosun Alake, said the partnership was in line with the state’s mission to provide opportunities and foster collaboration in the tech sector with specific plans on how to resource, build and create economic value from the tech ecosystems.

He said the state government wants to continue to help entrepreneurs and stakeholders create value through the creation of cross-border partnerships and cross-border relationships that would be of benefit to the local ecosystem.

According to him, the partnership will create a platform for local companies to expand to new markets, network with experts from New York and partner on new ideas that would transform the ecosystem for growth and inclusivity.

The takeout from the partnership saw the creation of a mutual Enterprise Development Center (EDC) desk where Lagos and New York can support each other, collaborate and provide access to funding for Nigerian startups.

Alake also noted that with over 50 startups across different sectors funded by the state government in the past 36 months, the Queens Borough – Lagos State alliance will help provide access to funding for more tech startups to scale up as well as cross-border market expansion.