The Kennedy Okonkwo Programme for Tech Entrepreneurs (KOPETECH 2019) is leveraging mentorship and industry collaboration in deepening the Nigerian technology start-up space for job creation.
“At KOPE, we are laying everything on the table – resources, expertise, experience, and networks, because our young people are the best bet that we can ever make for the future,” said Kennedy Okonkwo, CEOS and founder of Nedcomoaks, a real estate company in Lagos.
According to Okonkwo, the objective of KOPE is to champion the abundant potential of Nigerian youths, especially those playing in the tech startup space. “We strongly believe that KOPE will find, nurture and help Nigeria achieve its first unicorn in the tech space,” he said.
Okonkwo said KOPE is starting small with this initial stage of the programme where shortlisted tech start-ups get grants of up to N1 million, which comes together with a free fully furnished office space equipped with high-speed internet and constant power supply.
He stated that success for him is found not just in how individuals grow their businesses and increase personal wealth but in how passionately and effectively such individuals can uplift others and enrich lives.
According to him, participants at the KOPETECH 2019, which is the maiden edition of the programme, are hungry for success, especially in making a difference and building something great, not just for themselves but for the larger society.
Successful tech start-ups will get free access to Human Resource (HR), legal and administrative services, as well as ample time to spend on one-on-one mentorship with the founder and other industry experts.
“Our plan is to guide these budding entrepreneurs grow organically and as they begin to bloom, we will then begin to expand our scope,” he stated, calling on other corporate organisations to start investing in the ventures and endeavours of young people. “It is the only sure way to sprout successful enterprises from a jungle as concrete as ours,” said Okonkwo.
KOPE is about berthing the future of the African marketplace by helping to build entrepreneurs that will, in turn, contribute to building the country’s tech ecosystem, he added.
“We need to change the narrative in Nigeria and about Nigerians to celebrate the success story of Nigerians and empower the people positively,” he said.
“There is nothing like the liberating power of enterprise. When you build a successful business, you are not just freeing yourself from the clutches of poverty and basic wants, you are empowering others to achieve their freedom,” he further said.
Speaking further on the importance of KOPE to deepen opportunity in the Nigerian tech ecosystem, Okonkwo said that the of the aim of the organisation is to expand the doors of opportunity, to break down the walls that inhibit access, and to ensure that start-ups don’t make the challenges they experienced while kick-starting the business.
John Salau
