New Country Director For UK-Nigeria Tech Hub Reaffirms Commitment To Support Nigeria Tech Ecosystem

New Country Director for UK-Nigeria Tech Hub Reaffirms Commitment to Support Nigeria's Tech Ecosystem

On the 20th of September, the British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Ben Llewellyn Jones, hosted a reception for the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms Catriona Laing CB, and representatives from the tech industry to demonstrate the United Kingdom's commitment to supporting the growth of Nigeria's Tech Ecosystem through the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub and its Digital Access Programme (DAP).

In attendance at the reception were top Nigerian technology stakeholders such as Funke Opeke of Main One, Iyin Aboyeji of Future Africa, Kayode of Ventures Platform, and other representatives from the startup ecosystem.

Ms Catriona Laing CB, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, delivered the following remarks at the reception:

“The United Kingdom has placed the development and adoption of digital inclusion at the very heart of its agenda as a global force for good, recognising the power of the digital economy to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals.”

”We are committed to assisting Nigeria in advancing digital access throughout the country and assisting Nigeria in developing its digital economy by leveraging the role and expertise of the United Kingdom, in a variety of areas, but particularly through the three pillars of the global Digital Access Programme, which cut across Connectivity and Inclusion, Cybersecurity, and Sustainable Digital Ecosystems,” the statement continued.

"The Deputy High Commission warmly welcomes Adaeze Sokan, who brings a wealth of experience that will aid the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub in its goal of building sustainable digital ecosystems in Nigeria," the British High Commissioner said in his introduction of Adaeze Sokan, the new Country Director of the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, to the guests.

According to Adaeze, "I'm thrilled to be a part of the team, especially at this time when the Nigerian tech space and overall digital economy are making significant strides, despite some challenges that require collaboration from all stakeholders in order to be overcome." The ongoing work that supports more tech founders (especially women), continues to foster linkages between the UK and Nigeria, supports the growth of high-end digital skills, and strengthening our collaboration with government and key stakeholders in order to harness the potential of the UK and Nigeria tech ecosystems are some of the things I am looking forward to.

According to her, participating in the UK-NIGERIA Tech Hub will give her the opportunity to step up her efforts to make a difference in Nigeria's digital economy, which she believes will be beneficial. “Throughout my years of experience in the startup ecosystem, I have come to believe that technology can be the catalyst for bringing Nigeria up to speed and establishing a strong digital economy that not only contributes to GDP growth but also to real economic development.” She expressed herself.

Adaeze Sokan has more than six years of experience working in the technology sector, and she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the role of steering the leadership of the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub.

Previously, she served as the Acting Executive Director of the Ventures Platform Foundation, where she oversaw the development and implementation of organizational strategic objectives for assisting start-ups and the ecosystem in creating jobs and access while collaborating with and engaging various ecosystem players.

She has collaborated with a variety of partners from a variety of government agencies, including the Office of the President and Vice President, to provide advisory support and to design programs. She also collaborated with international partners such as the European Union, the World Bank, the US Embassy, USAID, and the FCDO, as well as private sector partners such as ARM, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook, all of whom were interested in supporting and engaging the ecosystem. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley. In 2016, she led the first delegation of start-up participants from Nigeria to SLUSH, Finland, one of Europe's foremost accelerators and conferences, and she has facilitated a number of other cross-border initiatives.

Note from the editor:

• In the United Kingdom, The UK-Nigeria Tech Hub is an initiative of the government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS). It aims to support the Nigerian Tech Ecosystem by promoting high-end digital skills, developing the local digital economy through ecosystem-building activities, and forging partnerships between local tech firms and international business, thereby delivering on the third pillar of the Digital Access Programme by establishing sustainable digital ecosystems in the country's major cities. 
• The Digital Access Programme (DAP) is a flagship initiative of the UK Government Prosperity Fund, which is led by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCO) and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). • The DAP is a flagship initiative of the UK Government Prosperity Fund (DCMS). In order to catalyze affordable, inclusive, safe and secure digital access for underserved or excluded populations, the Programme is being implemented in the following countries: Kenya; Nigeria; South Africa; Brazil; and Indonesia.

Additional Information on Adaeze

Adaeze Sokan is an Obama Fellow as well as a NESG Bridge Fellow for the year 2021. The Acting Executive Director had previously served in a variety of roles at the Ventures platform including Programs, Policy and Strategy Director where she assisted in the development of the organization's long-term strategic direction. Among her other responsibilities, she designed and implemented some of the organization's programs, which included acceleration, incubation, and investment readiness programs as well as capacity building workshops and policy advocacy, which included co-designing the framework for the Nigeria Start-up Bill and serving as its secretariat.

University of Illinois State University provided her with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science, and the University of California Los Angeles provided her with a Master's degree in African Studies. Passionate about the development of Africa, starting with Nigeria, she applies her skills in program design, policy analysis and strategy formulation as well as facilitating multi-stakeholder partnerships to help the continent achieve its development goals.

In her spare time, Adaeze enjoys spending time with her family, blogging about strategies/frameworks for digital access and innovation in public service, and coaching young people to develop the leadership mindset and values necessary to make the world a better place.