Facebook is set to open a “community hub space” in Nigeria next year to encourage software developers and technology entrepreneurs.
The hub will host an “incubator programme” to help develop technology start-ups, while it will also train 50,000 Nigerians in digital skills.
Africa’s rapid population growth, falling data costs and heavy adoption of mobile phones rather than PCs is attracting technology companies looking to attract more users.
“In Nigeria, more than 22 million people use Facebook every month and 87% of SMEs say that when they hire, digital skills are more important than where an applicant went to school. This demonstrates that the power of digital skills to aid economic growth and development has never been more important”, Facebook Public Policy Director, Africa, Ebele Okobi said, local online website, the Premium Times reports.
Facebook said the training – aimed at software developers, entrepreneurs and students – would be offered in cities including the capital, Abuja, Port Harcourt in the south, Calabar in the southeast and Kaduna in the north.
Last year Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg visited technology companies in Lagos and his charitable foundation provided $24 million to Andela, which trains developers.
According to Facebook, Nigeria have 7.2 million daily users with 97% of them accessing the platform via mobile.
The country remains the biggest user of the social media platform in Africa.
