Honeywell Group (HGL), an investment holding company, has teamed up with the Lagos state government to help create one of Africa’s most dynamic innovation ecosystems.
Lagos Innovates is the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund’s technology branch (LSETF).
HGL said in a statement on Wednesday that the relationship will be carried out through a talent development program under ‘Lagos Innovates,’ a training effort designed to make the process of starting a successful tech company in the state easier.
The initiative, which has been supported by HGL for over three years, aims to provide tools to help young techpreneurs develop successful start-ups in the state. One of the program’s main goals is to help young people in Lagos State who have the necessary qualifications acquire the necessary skills to participate in today’s global marketplace.
Speaking on the partnership, Tomi Otudeko, head of corporate services, Honeywell Group, said: “Creating long-term value for Nigeria and its people has always been at the heart of Honeywell Group’s mission.
“We are invested in impacting our communities, and the tech ecosystem in Lagos is filled with ideas that can revolutionise how we think and operate as a society. We also understand that these young minds need support in accessing the tools and the people required to grow their ideas. It is our duty to support them in any way that we can.
“We are excited to meet these new faces of technology and to partner with Lagos State and Lagos Innovates in easing the path to success.”
Also commenting on the programme, Teju Abisoye, executive secretary of LSETF, said, “We are delighted to partner with Honeywell Group to develop a talent pool of tech entrepreneurs who can compete favourably with their peers across the world and improve results in the tech ecosystem.
“LSETF and Honeywell Group are committed to ensuring that young people are equipped to drive the growing tech ecosystem in Lagos and Nigeria at large, in addition to positioning themselves for the gig economy. Through this partnership, we hope to cement Lagos’ position as the leading destination for start-ups in Africa. We look forward to seeing the impact of the training on job creation.”
The talent development program, according to the company, would assist boost the attractiveness of Lagos-based start-ups to investors and, as a result, their survival rates.
“In partnership with HGL, Lagos Innovates is supporting capacity development in Lagos State by facilitating access to an integrated development environment (IDE) or techfocused entrepreneurship content and programming,” it said.
“The training, which will span over 24 weeks, will involve courses on full-stack development with JavaScript (React JS, NodeJs, Express and MongoDB + API Development); full-stack development for mobile applications (React Native, API Development); Python Programming for web and data science (PYTHON OOP, DJANGO & Data Science); frontend design and engineering: (UI/UX, HTML, CSS, ES6 & React JS); full-stack web development, and others.”
REQUIREMENTS
- Applicants must be Lagos state residents (with LASRRA) between the ages of 22 and 45
- Completed NYSC as at the time of application.
Following the successful completion of two training sessions under the programme, the third is slated to begin in July 2022, and applications are open to all individuals based in Lagos.
Interested applicants can apply and select the courses and training partners at www.lagosinnovates.ng
Skill Paddy, The Nest, DesignU, GOMYCODE, Seed Builders Innovation Hub, Slate Cube, Softwork Freelance Network, Univelcity, Dataleum, and Torilo Academy are among the program’s training partners.
After a two-week screening and selection process by the program’s steering committee, HGL stated successful applications will be announced in July.
Honeywell Group said it has engaged in the project for over three years and has a long-standing connection with LSETF, which is one of its important aims to assist create the next generation of pioneering African firms.
