₦airaland Forum

Press Release on Wennovation Hub’s Collaboration with MIT-AITI

http://hipvestors..com/2011/06/loftyinc-mit-aiti-collaborates-to-float.html

LoftyInc Allied Partners Limited, the operators of Nigeria’s premier business incubator- The Wennovation Hub- are pleased to announce a new collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Africa Information Technology Initiative (MIT-AITI).


The signing event where the memorandum of understanding (MoU), codifying the relationship between the two entities, was held on Wednesday, June 22nd 2011 at the Wennovation Hub – Plot C, Obasa Road, Ikeja-Lagos. Mr. Soji Awe of MIT represented the MIT-AITI program with Wole Odetayo (Managing Partner) & Ayokunle Akinrotimi (Associate) representing LoftyInc Allied Partners Limited.

Under the terms of the agreement, LoftyInc will provide some facilitators and materials specifically focusing on business incubation for the six-week pioneer training and mobile application technologies’ product development program of MIT-AITI in Nigeria beginning on June 21st through July 29th, 2011. In like manner, LoftyInc will also send representatives to serve on the project panel to award honors to top developers during the MIT-AITI program being held at the University of Ibadan’s (UI) computer science department. More than thirty students and future entrepreneurs will be in attendance.


Top market oriented mobile application developers will be selected by LoftyInc from the MIT-AITI program at UI, to graduate onwards into the pilot Wennovation Hub program to be known as WennoCamp. One of the key backers of the program is Google Africa.

The four weeks of WennoCamp incubation program will be held on site at the Wennovation Hub, Lagos; and will be focused exclusively on product refinement and business development. During this period, the student developers will be immersed with a team of their choice, supported by top WennoCamp linked geeks to unobtrusively develop a business around their initial project ideas built during the MIT-AITI program.

CEO mentors and intensive product trouble shooting sessions are amongst the exciting sessions planned during their four week stint which will come to a close by pitching to potential seed investors organized by LoftyInc.


Successful Wennovators through the WennoCamp will be provided access to:
• Ultra-Modern office space and complimentary broadband connection with full office support services for 3 months following their successful completion of the incubation program
• Mentors – both technical and business types experienced in operations and development
• Funding of up to $25 000 through a pioneer network of small investors being built by LoftyInc
• Small seed grant (up to $1000 in kind) to register their business and begin marketing
• The network of LoftyInc consultants in legal, financial and strategic advising that provide reduced fee-for-services to Wennovation linked firms

Speaking yesterday from Houston, Texas, Wennovation Hub Program Director and Serial Afropreneur, Idris Ayodeji Bello said “This collaboration is a small but important step in our journey of establishing a Wennovation Village in Nigeria, which will compete with the likes of Silicon Valley in the US, in terms of the quality of innovation and venture funding to support such. It is also a testament to our belief in the concept of wennovation (collaborative innovation), and we look forward to future collaborations with similarly-aligned organizations in Nigeria, and the Diaspora”.







AITI is a multidisciplinary group of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that promotes development in Africa by cultivating young technology entrepreneurs. AITI develops curriculum materials, software technologies, platforms, and networks that enable African undergraduate students to innovate in the area of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Since 2000, AITI has sent nearly 100 MIT instructors to teach over 1200 African students in five countries, resulting in the creation of African businesses and the addition of course offerings at our partner universities. This will be the first time that the AITI program will be in Nigeria http://aiti.mit.edu/

LoftyInc Allied Partners Ltd. is a business development company founded in 2008 to specifically focus on supporting innovative entrepreneurs and businesses. LoftyInc specializes in start-up business and project incubation in West Africa. LoftyInc unique business incubation model is implemented on a platform jointly initiated with the Africa Leadership Forum: the Wennovation Hub. LoftyInc supports over half a dozen domestic start-ups and three early stage projects sponsored by domestic and international clients. www.loftyincltd.biz www.wennovationhub.com

Sad but funny!

http://www.npf.gov.ng/news/?newsid=110

SUICIDE BOMBING AT FORCE HEADQUARTERS, ABUJA
Published: 6/16/2011
Author/Source: PPRO Force Headquarter, Abuja

The Inspector-General of Police Hafiz Abubakar Ringim, NPM, mni has expressed his displeasure over the suicide bomb attack on vehicles parked at the Force Headquarters, Abuja car park.

The unfortunate incident which led to the death of the suicide bomber and a Police traffic warden occurred at about 1100hrs of 16/06/2011 when the suicide bomber vehicle was intercepted and directed to the car park for searching and checking.

The Traffic Warden who entered the vehicle of the suicide bomber to direct him to the car park was blown off along with him as soon as they got to the car park.

The IGP wises a appreciate the efforts of the fire service and the team of armed forces fire service who promptly responded to put off the fire.

The body of the suicide bomber has been recovered and a full investigation has commenced.

Members of the public are assured that the criminal elements behind this dastardly attack will be fished out as the government, the Police and other security agencies will not succumb to the demand of any criminal group or individual.

Had the same argument with Segun. He did agree that he messed up, especially around the handling of Yaradua's sickeness and eventual return in th dead of the night (said he had no hand in that though) , but he still tried to justify his not resigning as waiting for the opportunity to resign once Yaradua came back ( i did not buy that though). However, I doubt whether that will be fully reflected in his writings.

I asked him one question though- that with the benefit of hindsight, knowing what you know now, would you still have accepted the position, and he said Yes. That as a curious journalist, it gave him insight/perspective into areas/issues/events that he could only have guessed at even for hundred years as an editor.

To each his/her own!

When you think nothing can surprise you anymore in Nigeria, then this one happens!

Very sad!

Jarus:
The story was damn too interesting! When I picked Thisday this morning and read that Segun's article, I immediate exchanged BBM IM with SK, Thisday Editor, that I can't wait to read the remaining part and even the book.

It's bombshell. Never Dangote, Otedola, Bukola Saraki, Ribadu wielded so much power as to 'five-handedly' select VP even against Obasanjo's preference. If the reason for stopping Odili was truly because of corruption, then kudos to these guys. But a question: what were Ibori and Ribadu doing together as power brokers? Or wasn't Ribadu aware of Ibori's dirty dealings too?

By far the most shocking to me is the revelation that Dangote is that powerful and actively involved in politics. I also never knew editor and newspaper owners are so powerful.

Having had the privilege to read the book, in its typed form on Segun's PC, I am not sure he can safely live in Nigeria once the book is out. You will be amazed to find out that nothing has really changed, and its the same folks who are still in power. You will also see disgusting tales about Jimoh Ibrahim!

Not surprised. I spent sometime with Segun at Harvard earlier this year, and got to read a pre-release copy of the book.

Nigerians will be shocked when it finally comes out. But in our usual manner, we will shrug it away and business as usual will continue!

The video above is the 2011 StartingBloc (New York) elevator pitch on Libraries Across Africa I gave in NYC on May 28, 2011.

My 60-secs pitch about Libraries Across Africa was chosen as one of top 5 pitches out of 109 social enterprise pitches to move into the StartingBloc NY'11 Ideas MarketPlace Finals.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8SjqW-4haE

@Dayokanu, thanks for the great work you are doing on the team

Just peeping in

Not sure how much Procter&Gamble pays now, but back then for pre-NYSC and NYSC folks, it was N56,000 per month. Big deal for a fresh graduate.

Back then was 2002!

So in what way do all these arguments and counter-arguments help develop Nigeria or our individual locales?

Africa Leadership Forum (ALF) launches "Legislative Internship Program" for young Nigerians.

http://2.bp..com/-K87xYZmox-M/TdO15uJup4I/AAAAAAAAAdM/llZEY7YjmVM/s1600/ALF-LIP.jpg

The Africa Leadership Forum, supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nigeria is organizing a Legislative Internship Programmes for interested young Nigerians and students in higher institutions aged 18-40 years to provide an opportunity to acquaint them with parliamentary structures and processes, thereby encouraging them to take up parliamentary acreer either as future parliamentarians or parliamentary support staff

Deadline is June 15, 2011

Selected participants will be required to cover their own travel expenses to and from the workshop venue during the 2-day briefing and the 2day debriefing workshops. The Africa Leadership Forum will be responsible for participant's accomodation and feeding only; and pay a stipend to cover transportation during the 21-day attachment

Just won the Dell Best Innovation Leveraging Technology Award


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKmtM_zruIM

In Austin 2 attend Finals of Dell Innovation Competitiion, watch Awards Nite on Monday- 6:30pm Houston time at 
http:///eerr8N

http:///eerr8N

HIPVestors.Com: LoftyInc's Bello Bags Rice University's Highest Award & EMBA     
http://hipvestors..com/2011/05/loftyincs-bello-bags-rice-universitys.html

Watch my MBA graduation tomorrow (Friday, May 13) at 1:00 pm (Houston Time) -7pm Nigerian time http:///FFgdSv Big day. Thanks :-)

dayokanu:
How is my picture not included in that?

lol

Interesting- 2005 set

@Jarus- Wrong on Katsina

You seem to have a lot of the others right though

By Kamar Bakrin

http://idrisayobello..com/2011/04/four-steps-to-avoid-failed-jonathan.html

Truth be told, a failed Jonathan presidency will simply be a continuation of a long tradition in Nigerian governance. Despite all the noise about how “this time, it is different”, the brutal truth is that it is not. The elements which supposedly make it different have been present in equal or higher doses in previous administrations: a clear mandate, a president from a minority ethnic group, huge amount of public goodwill, a majority in the national assembly etc.



As for the qualities that make Jonathan unique: a good heart, calm disposition, listening ear and love for Nigeria; well, I hate to break it to you but we have had all of that before and it didn’t take us very far, at least not in the right direction.

Along with the fact that we have never lacked for blue-prints, development plans, several-point agendas, etc., you quickly realise that the prognosis isn’t looking so great.

But it doesn’t have to be like that; especially because the world is moving on with or without a Nigeria that gets its act together. However, if you study Nigeria’s leadership history, you will find that the times we have shown a semblance of progress have been when the incumbent administration has addressed one or more of certain elements. Jonathan can vastly improve his chances of success by working this handful of levers at the same time. So, following are things he can do to truly buck the dismal trend:

(1)Pick a stellar team
The problems of Nigeria do not require further articulation. Even an average product of our lousy educational system can do a decent job of identifying the problems and proffering solutions. Rather, we need the most competent people to take charge of the ministries, departments and agencies, both the ‘juicy’ and ‘sahara’ types and actually execute at world-class levels. Spend the time between now and May 29 to search for the most capable Nigerians at home and abroad. Go through a rigorous process of matching them to the positions especially keeping in mind the priorities in each sector.

Do not make the fatal mistake of distributing executive MDA appointments as ‘settlement’. If you must reward people, then perhaps, use some of the Board positions at the various agencies, but please do even these sparingly.


(2) Focus on the most important things
It is critical to concentrate on infrastructure, food, human capital development, security and improving public service efficiency. Yes, I know it is in the manifesto, but we know how manifestos work in Nigeria. So, please, actually focus on them. The word Focus does not even begin to address the importance. Make it an obsession: dedicate the best of our best resources to them, beg for more resources from richer nations, spend the bulk of your time supervising initiatives in these areas!

This also requires that they be well managed, with clear deliverables and timelines for hitting relevant milestones. Avoid blandishments about improving the quality of life of the people, delivering the dividends of democracy or crowing about how many billions have been spent on projects. Think, talk and act in terms of specific, measurable outcomes that impact the people on a sustainable basis.

There are so many non-priority areas that take up time and resources. Please minimise the distraction from these areas. Anyway, just fill your to-do list with the most important things and these others will find their rightful place at the back of the queue.

(3) Fight corruption
You will not succeed at anything else if you fail to tackle this. To bring it home, even if we judiciously deploy 100% of our resources, it will not be sufficient to make us one of the 20 leading economies in the time frame we have been bandying about. Now consider that a hefty chunk of these resources is frittered away on unnecessary recurrent expenditure or stolen outright. The paradox is that a lot of the stolen money goes towards 2 things: to rig elections, which will not be necessary if governance is good; and to provide private infrastructure at a higher unit cost than would have been incurred on spending it on what it was intended for in the first place.

Therefore, strengthen the existing organs to plug the leakages and making it extremely unattractive to steal. How? The same way you delivered on your promise of free and fair elections: appoint the right persons, fund them adequately and stay out of their way.

(4)Lead!
The common refrain, though I wonder why people feel compelled to state it, is that ‘I voted for Goodluck not PDP’. Well, it is payback time sir! If we are to believe the election results, it was you people overwhelmingly voted for: not Buhari, not PDP, not MEND, not OBJ, certainly not Madam Patience but YOU!

So, step forward and take charge. This means many things. First, you must be take responsibility: for the future direction of Nigeria, for resolving crises whenever, wherever and in whatever form they occur, for the misdeeds of your officials, for the safety and security of your citizens. In short sir, you are responsible for Nigeria.

Also, you must actively manage the country’s affairs: develop the roadmap, organise the resources required to deliver and manage the daily task of delivering it. Oh, I almost forgot, it would be nice to occasionally let us know how things are going.

All the best, or should I say Good luck?

@inecnigeria, just spoke to Samaila Sambawa, he is in Kebbi not Abuja, but was not equivocal in denying the thumb-printing allegation,
Twitter for BlackBerry® • 4/15/11 6:05 PM

@inecnigeria, Got report of thumb-printing activity in the Kumo Police Station, Akko LG of Gombe State going on right now,
Twitter for BlackBerry® • 4/15/11 5:08 PM

Also got reports of thumb-printing activities near Sunny Okwogu's house in Marafa Estate Kaduna and Samaila Sambawa's Sigma Apts flat, Abuja
Twitter for BlackBerry® • 4/15/11 5:04 PM

Also got reports of heavy military presence to disenfranchise voters in Rigasa, Kaduna South LG, by restricting movement in the largest ward

From Nasir ElRufai's twitter page

Just got reports of thumb-printing of ballot papers in Sen. Walid Jibrin's farm in Marmara, Nasarawan Keffi and reported to INEC,
Twitter for BlackBerry® • 4/15/11 4:56

Presenting at the Unite For Sight
Global Health & Innovation 2011 Conference at Yale University this weekend.

Now I know who you are. Hope u go come Houston soon?

Grad students

Spent the Weekend at the MIT media lab. They have just started what they refer to as the African Initiative. They are also looking to attract Africans as there is only one in the dept at present. Holla at me if you need any contacts.

Our new video


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh5d9yH7fu8

I presented at the Harvard-Tufts Harambe Symposium yesterday in Cambridge Massachussetts, USA.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmJBwDpbJIc

7:26-7:30