At the Oriental Hotel in Lagos on April 3, 2024, Huawei Cloud unveiled its startup program, pledging $10 million to support 100 startups in Nigeria. Over 150 industry startups, venture capitalists, and partners convened to discuss innovation, collaboration, and digital transformation within the startup ecosystem.
Commitment to Startup Support
Chris Lu, the CEO of Huawei Nigeria, emphasized the vital role startups play in Nigeria’s economic development. Represented by Hugo Hu, Director of Huawei Cloud Nigeria, Lu highlighted the program’s commitment to fostering innovation and excellence among startups.
Enabling Digital Transformation
Huawei Cloud’s Hugo Hu underscored the platform’s potential to drive digital transformation for startups in Nigeria. By offering cloud services, Huawei aims to facilitate faster global market access for startups, positioning them competitively on a global scale.
Criteria for Success
Paul Adigu, Ecosystem Director of Huawei Cloud Nigeria, outlined key success criteria for startups, including adequate funding, innovative cloud platforms, and strategic business resources. He shared success stories of Huawei Cloud’s contributions to ICT development and e-governance in Nigeria.
Investment in Startup Ecosystem
Huawei Cloud’s $10 million investment over two years aims to advance cloud platforms, talent development, and business resource sharing for startups. Adigu emphasized the agility, cost-effectiveness, and self-sufficiency of the Huawei Cloud platform, offering startups credits worth $150,000 each.
Startup Advice and Collaboration
Startup founders were encouraged to pursue creative solutions, engage with customers, and foster collaboration for growth. Buchi Okoro of Quidax and Bolu Olatunji of Feather shared insights on startup success and the importance of collaboration within the ecosystem.
Panel Discussion and Industry Insights
A panel discussion titled “From Startup to Scaleup: Navigating the Growth of Startup in Nigeria” featured industry leaders discussing their experiences in scaling startups. Speakers included David Adeleke of Zeech Africa, Dotun Adekunle of Flutterwave, Babatunde Obrimah of Fintech Nigeria, Olivia Gao of Verod Keppe Africa, and David Olaiya of Huawei Cloud Nigeria.
Huawei’s Contribution to Nigeria’s Digital Transformation
With over 24 years of operation in Nigeria, Huawei has been instrumental in driving digital transformation. Huawei Cloud aims to further this mission by building a local cloud in Nigeria and expanding its global cloud infrastructure to 88 availability zones across 30 regions worldwide.
Source: TechNext