Speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony, the First Lady described the project as a significant milestone in the drive to empower young people and expand access to digital opportunities across the country.
She commended the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and their respective teams for securing the partnership.
“I commend the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, and the Director-General of NITDA, Malam Kashifu Abdullahi, and the entire teams for their commitment in securing this partnership.
“The establishment of start-up hubs across the nation aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, which prioritises youth empowerment through entrepreneurship.
“President Tinubu also priotises skills development and sustainable job creation, equipping young Nigerians to compete and thrive in the global economy,” she said.
Tinubu explained that the hub would serve as a national centre for business incubation, hardware prototyping, research and international business collaboration, providing young innovators with the resources to develop their ideas into marketable products.
She urged young Nigerians to take advantage of the facility to nurture their creativity and build sustainable enterprises.
“To our young innovators, this Start-Up Hub is yours.You can arrive here with a sketch and leave with a working prototype that takes you into the global market space.
“Let this hub be the home where your dreams are nurtured and scaled.
“To our partners from Japan, we say: “Arigato gozaimasu” (thank you). You have shown that true friendship between nations is measured by the opportunities it creates for the next generation,” she said.
The First Lady also charged the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and NITDA to ensure that the completed facility would be accessible and inclusive, enabling young people from diverse backgrounds to benefit from its opportunities.
In his remarks, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, expressed appreciation to the First Lady for attending the ceremony, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to advancing the digital transformation agenda of the Tinubu administration.
He said the initiative reflected the government’s recognition of human capital, particularly the creativity and entrepreneurial potential of young Nigerians, as a critical driver of national development.
“We are investing in our people, the ingenuity of our people, particularly our young people, whose creativity, resilience, and entrepreneurial ambition is our greatest asset as a nation.
“We thank you for your leadership, for your commitment and for your presence here at this ceremony, your commitment to empowering women, young people, and vulnerable communities resonate with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“It also resonates with his conviction that building a nation and development cannot be achieved without making all our people have access and participate in building that nation,” he said.
The project underscores Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen its innovation ecosystem through international partnerships, entrepreneurship development and technology-driven opportunities, with the ultimate goal of enabling young Nigerians to transform ideas into viable businesses and compete in the global digital economy.
