ISN hosts 5th annual gathering, calls for collaborative culture within Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem

The Innovative support Network (ISN) has tasked stakeholders to build a collaborative culture for Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.

This call was made at the recently held 5th yearly gathering, bringing together stakeholders from diverse sectors within the Nigeria innovation ecosystem.

Held at the Ibom Icon Conference room, the gathering brought together an array of stakeholders drawn from the public and private sectors, to deliberate on the critical role of collaboration in driving economic growth.

The three day event themed: “Scaling Together: Building a Collaborative Culture for Nigerian Innovation,” emphasized the importance of collaboration in fostering growth, innovation and economic advancement across Nigeria.

In his address, the Chairman of the Board, Charles Uchenna Emembolu highlighted the significance of the 5th annual gathering in the journey and growth of ISN. Stressing that the gathering was more than just a celebration, as it is a call to action and a testament to the shared journey and extraordinary potential as a force.

“This event is a reminder of the impact and significant strides we have made in advancing the Innovation Ecosystem since its founding in 2019. From 75 starting Hubs in 2019, the 5th Annual Gathering was crucial to reminisce on the growth to 207 Innovation Hubs, incubators, activators and co-working spaces across 30 states in Nigeria,” Emembolu said.

He urged all members, partners, and stakeholders to continue to build on this legacy, craft pathways for new ideas, strengthen bonds, and embrace future challenges with resilience and innovation.

Emembolu further revealed that through partnership with various key organisations, ISN has trained over 42,249 beneficiaries, comprising over 11,520 women, 16,760 youths and 2,505 people with disabilities.

The Commission Manager for GIZ/DTC Nigeria, Thuweba Diwani commended the dedication of ISN Hubs to capacity building and ecosystem collaborations.

He emphasized that through existing partnerships between GIZ/DTC and ISN, there has been an amplification of reach, positioning ISN as a transformative leader in innovation support.

The Director General of the National Council of Arts and Culture, Obi Asika expressed utmost satisfaction at the growth of the network in building and pushing giant strides in the Innovation Ecosystem. He reminded all present of the pressing need to enable talent development through upskilling and access to work in immediate environments as a way of developing the Ecosystem.

He stated that It is critical for ISN to remain visible, engaged and active in its role of providing leadership and initiating strategic actions towards the growth of the ecosystem.

The event also featured the launching of a movie platform, Ewaen Studio, a product of Genius Hub Nigeria.