As recently as 10 years ago, Africa’s technology industry was sparse. But as a result of advancements in mobile phone technology as well as better internet connections, the continent has transformed — unearthing countless innovators and entrepreneurs who make use of tech to solve everyday problems.
Out of 1.3 billion Africans, there are 477 million unique mobile subscribers, with the mobile industry contributing $155 billion to the continent’s GDP in 2019, according to data from the Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSMA).
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has 90 tech hubs — the most on the continent. In 2019, one report found startups in Nigeria raised nearly $400 million, more than double the amount from the previous year.In recent years, the West African nation has become an incubator for some of the continent’s biggest startups — including online marketplace place Jumia and Andela, a talent accelerator.
The result is a generation of tech entrepreneurs or “techpreneurs” whose startups and innovations are helping to improve the lives of people in Nigeria and beyond. CNN spoke to three startup founders to understand how they are shaping the country’s technology ecosystem.
The innovation pioneer
Bosun Tijani, Co-Creation Hub founder & CEO
Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) is one of Africa’s largest networks of tech talent, with a presence in Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda. Bosun Tijani, founder of the innovation center, told CNN that he started CcHUB to create a space for Africans to develop life-changing tech.
Since its creation in 2010, it has served as a meeting place for innovators and entrepreneurs to share their plans and execute ideas, especially in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial center.
“Science and technology can leapfrog development across Africa … there are so many smart people on this continent, we just need to build a platform that will enable them to create,” Tijani said. Through CcHUB, the entrepreneur has been able to provide tech startups with resources needed to grow their ideas into sustainable businesses.
Beginning in 2016, for example, through its 18-month incubation program, the hub helped provide the founder of Lifebank, a health logistics company in Nigeria, with a workspace, expert advice on how to incorporate tech into her business, and funding.But for Tijani, it is not just about supporting other techpreneurs.
He recently launched STEM Cafe, a learning center in Lagos, where kids can dream up big ideas through Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).There, children engage in a series of activities and informal sessions including coding challenges, computer games and prototyping with 3D printers.
“I want to build a generation of people in Africa with strong belief in science, people that are comfortable in science that can apply science to change things,” Tijani said. The cafe, he said, does not use regular school curriculums — instead, it applies a non-linear way of teaching that encourages kids to be creative and to innovate. “It’s a free space, we don’t judge … what we want to achieve here is to build creative confidence in kids.” HowAfrica