Eko Creation Innovators Hubs to Combat the “Japa” Syndrome: Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced that his administration has made concrete plans to convert some of the state’s skills acquisition centers into Eko Creation Innovators Hubs, as part of efforts to combat the ‘japa’ syndrome.

Sanwo-Olu made this known during the commissioning of Sail Innovation Lab, an initiative of Senator Tokunbo Abiru of Lagos East, who stated that it would be transformed into a Tech Campus to encourage youths to learn digital skills.

He stressed the importance of the lab, as Sanwo-Olu indicated that the youths do not need to relocate just compete and cut their teeth in Ikorodu.

The innovation lab, which opened in 2021, is located in Ikorodu, Lagos East, where the Senator represents and it is designed in collaboration with Co-creation Hub, making the facility a free training facility for youths, teenagers, and teachers in and around Ikorodu.

What the Governor said

During the center’s inauguration, Sanwo-Olu stated that Abiru’s initiative to better the lot of his constituents was in line with the State Government’s vision of leveraging technology for youth development.

According to Sanwo-Olu,

• “You can see the enthusiasm in my voice. It is not evey time that you see a politician doing this kind of thing. Our names are used in different ways.
• “I have no doubt that the expectation of the people of Lagos East will be achieved, some of the things that we promised, we have been seeing them in Senator Abiru.
• “We, as your Government, we are to give hope to the hopeless, to give people the opportunity to those who are depressed. I’m excited to see the impact of governance to people. In public service, we still have people who can do it without knowing them. When you do things selflessly, you won’t know when the reward will come.
• “The issue for is to replicate what Senator Abiru has done. Tech is what will leap-frog our youths. That we can see in Ikorodu and compete with anybody in any part of the world. Tech is that that will give us that advancement, creating global solutions.”

International partners 

The governor expressed his satisfaction with the partners, including Microsoft and Bank of Industries, and promised to create an environment that would be favorable to foreign companies.

He stated that Lagos will remain the tech hub in Africa as the Government is currently building a metropolitan fiber mesh to develop easier and quicker internet capabilities.

He added,

• “We want to make Yaba a tech campus . That is the synergy that you have created in line with our vision. We will be converting some of our skills acquisition centres into Eko Creation Innovation Hubs. The concern of this Goverment is to leave this place far better than we met it. Abiru is a man that we identify and work with.”

How tech is shaping lives

Abiru in his remarks said,

• “The New language of the world is tech. All around us, we see how tech is shaping social interactions, disrupting how we live, work and interact with others. Quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and the internet of Things (IOTs) are now the buzzwords in a world that is changing faster than we can adapt to it.”
• “Since inception, the innovation lab has recorded some significant milestones. Till date, over 490 participants have benefitted from the several programmes, in-person, while over 2,000 have participated in the online programmes.
• “In this age where digital skills are high in-demand, the lab will help to bridge the resource-gap. In the coming months and years, we will be offering a range of training programmes in areas such as digital product design, data science, metaverse, among others,” he added.