Are you asking about tech hubs in Uyo or what is happening in the tech ecosystem in Akwa Ibom State?
Well I may not be able to provide all the answers to your questions but if you read this article to the end you will agree with me that a lot has been happening in the tech ecosystem in Akwa Ibom State since the turn of the 21st century.
Akwa Ibom State is the fastest growing baby States in Nigeria which was split from Cross River State with a total of 31 Local Government Areas and have its capital is Uyo. Yes I call it a baby State because unlike Lagos, Kano, Rivers, etc. Akwa Ibom State was created in 1987 by General Ibrahim Babangida.
Akwa Ibom State is located in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered on the east by Cross River State, on the west by Rivers State and Abia State, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean.
According to Wikipedia, of the 36 states, Akwa Ibom is the 30th largest in area and fifteenth most populous with an estimated population of nearly 5.5 million as of 2016.
Business Hubs in Uyo
Akwa Ibom State is widely seen as a civil service state. Until the turn of the 21st century, Akwa Ibom indigenes were peasant farmers or civil servants.
But as the State grows and technology gradually finding a place in the State, younger generation in the state tends to turn to building businesses and attempt to take part of the unemployment rate off government shoulders by creating rewarding organisations.
The entrant of Mr. Udom Emmanuel as the governor was the peak of expectations for startups. But the AKEES Park which was to be the first business hub in the state is alleged to be the greatest scam any government could practice against her citizen.
Believed to go moribund even when the initiator of the idea is still in power, the hope of the Akwa Ibom citizens now is the ability to come together and build tech hubs in Uyo which will serve as business hubs for startups in the state after the failed AKEES project.
This is why most tech hubs serves as a co-working space for startups within the ecosystem.
The major business in the state has been buying and selling with no industries and factories. Infact, in Uyo, Champion breweries, the producer of Champion beer is the only visible industry the State Capital can boast of.
Therefore, young as the state is, the entrepreneurial spirit within the ecosystem is relatively low with glitches like low income plaguing intended business adventurers.
The story has not really changed in the last few years. The present administration in the state keep promising the citizens that he will do all it can to change the status quo.
With the introduction of the Dakkada philosophy by Governor Udom Emmanuel, citizens engage in various business adventures but the age long bottleneck of capital and the government’s refusal to offer grants and loans to startup makes the philosophy merely reinventing the wheel.
Tech Development in Uyo
Despite these pitfalls, the effort to make Akwa Ibom the tech hub in West Africa has not gone down with the frustrations faced by industry players from the leadership in the State.
Young people who have great enthusiasm in making the dream a reality remain resolute in their pursuit.
In the list of those spearheading the campaign for the revolution has been Hanson Johnson of Start Innovation Hub, Tony and Francis Onuk of the Roothub, Samuel Ogu of Codekago and yours truly in TechForest.
Many great innovations have been with witnessed within the ecosystem in the last couple of years. Though we will bring details of these startups to you anytime soon, let us take a look at the best hubs in Uyo and what they can offer.
Strategically located at the 2nd Floor, 264 Oron Road, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Start Innovation hub is the home of innovations in Uyo.
Brainchild of Mr. Hanson Johnson, the hub has been a major player in the evolution of the tech ecosystem in Akwa Ibom State. From a total state of obscurity, Start Innovation hub came into the limelight and in turn lit the torch for hundreds of techies to follow in achieving their various dreams in the industry.
The hub’s introduction on their website is clear as to the direction of the founder’s faith “We provide the niche to help you Ideate, Innovate and Grow”.
This is the right spirit every beginner should come into the industry with – growth. It therefore follows that toddlers and beginners at entry point to the industry will find within the hub the niche to help them bring their ideas to fruition.
What the hub offers:
Start Innovation hub offers training and internship programmes which serves as a pipeline that prepares young talents for fellowship programme to enable them take advantage of global opportunities.
Software Developers made a median salary of $110,140 in 2020. The best-paid 25 percent made $140,470 that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made $84,020 according to Best Jobs.
Therefore with Software design and development opportunities at Start Innovation hub, young people have the chance of earning such humongous salary even as a remote worker.
There is also a workspace where startup owners can use within hub while incubating their ideas and with experts in digital marketing to train and guide, they are sure of knowing the pros and cons of digital marketing while launching their new product.
Roothub welcomes visitors to their website with the phrase “Enabling ideas, individuals, startups, etc. to grow”. The hub is located at Akees Plaza, Opp Ibom Hall on the IBB Avenue in Uyo.
With passion to break into a number of communities within the Nigeria tech ecosystem, the RootHub has established a satellite office at 117 T. F. Kuboye Rd, Str 106104 Oniru, Lekki – Lagos and at Maxxy Plaza, SARS Road by Rukpokwu, Big Treat, Obio Akpor, Port Harcourt to take care of the Rivers State ecosystem.
The vision of the hub includes to promote technology as the major driving force to accessing economic opportunities and foster a culture of collaboration. To incubate, accelerate and support amazing ideas to achieve growth
Beyond this, the hub also target to actively impact on the youths of Africa by imparting the much needed technology skills, empowering them in today’s digital world and helping them access employment, advance career paths, and drive self-reliance through entrepreneurship.
Roothub offer coworking space to startups, training and coaching for tech enthusiast. You can get more on their website.
The hub holds an annual tech event tagged “Tech 101” where young people are tutored on the entrant requirements into the tech industry.
Welcome to the hub in Uyo that offers Boundless Digital Innovation. Located at 86 Atiku Way, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State – Nigeria.
Codekago could be considered a baby hub among the hubs in Uyo though they have measured up competitively with the big names like Start Innovation Hub and the Roothub.
The hub offers a pool of solutions that can help expedite business growth, creating an image for brands and building world class products.
If you are looking for a hub in Uyo that will take care of your branding project then codekago offers a quick solution for your search.
Beyond this, the hub has helped several organizations to design and redesign their websites to improve performance, delivering high standard interfaces and products.
Digital Marketing is the keyword whenever branding is mentioned. This is why the hub helps you reach your target audience and generate leads on social media from the convenience of your home with just a mobile phone or your computer using optimized marketing approaches.
More about the hub is published on their official website.
We also published 5 Free Tech Events In Lagos You Can Attend. Visit to know more about tech events and choose the one that is convenient for you.
