Leading phone manufacturing company, Nokia in partnership with foremost social innovation centre in Nigeria, Co-Creation Hub (CCHUB) has embarked on an academy program called ‘Nokia/CCHub Growth Academy’ aimed at accelerating top Nigerian mobile software companies in growing their companies on regional and international levels.
The academy program is the first of its kind business accelerator programme in Africa dedicated to providing intensive continuous hands-on support to help approximately thirty (30) early stage mobile technology start-ups grow into high growth businesses and build world class mobile applications for the Nokia platform regionally and globally.
The first programme of the Growth Academy started on May 10th and will run till end of July 2012, featuring ten (10) companies, which are expected at the end of the three months to have a world class mobile app launch on the Nokia platform with full marketing support by Nokia. They will also have access to funding to scale their business through an investor presentation as the end.
The program comes in three parts; Training, Development and Launch of world class mobile apps for Nokia platform. Selected participants will undergo hands-on, structured and technical training to actualize your ideas. Futurice, a leading global mobile software house from Finland with expertise in mobile application development and user driven design will have several face to face sessions with the participants in Nigeria and also provide constant online support and mentoring to the participants during the Growth Academy
Speaking on the project, Head, Ecosystem and Developer Experience, Nokia West Africa, Mr. Teemu Kiijarvi, says Nigeria has a thriving and growing mobile software start-up scene with a lot of potential for growth.
“At Nokia, our objective with the Growth Academy is to support local talent in developing their skills and in growing their companies. Our aim is to integrate them into both regional and global markets and ensure future funding for growing their companies”, He said.
Speaking also on the initiative, the Director, Pre-Incubation and Research, Co-Creation Hub, Mr Adetunji Eleso described the Growth Academy program as a novel accelerator programme in Nigeria which will build the capacity of Nigerian technology start-ups to create world class applications that meet the real needs of Nigerian consumers.
According to him, participants on the program would have the opportunity to undergo hands-on and structured training with modules such as business model development, implementation plan, lean product development as well as technology training and mentoring, which would build them to match up with local and global standards.
By the end of June, Nokia and CcHUB will start looking for the next intake of companies to the Growth Academy.
Source: CcHub Nigeria
