A digital innovation hub is about to be established in the Niger Delta. The plank upon which to set it up has already been established by private sector players.
The group is led by Wider Perspectives Limited, said to be a leading Management Consulting firm in the South-South geo-political zone of Nigeria.
The company said it is proud to announce its partnership to establish a Digital Innovation Hub to be called Wider NetFarms.
According to a statement issued by the managing director, Edughom Hanson, the hub is a consortium of three partner organisations – Wider Perspectives Limited, Netopps Concept Limited, and Farmsby Limited, all located in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
This groundbreaking digital initiative is poised to redefine the digital landscape offering innovative technology solutions that boost production, operations, and market access for Agribusinesses in the Niger Delta by linking players in the Cassava, Cocoa, and Palm value chains with relevant markets to improve efficiency and turnover.
According to Hanson, the Digital Innovation Hub stands as a testament to the company’s unwavering commitment to fostering innovation and driving digital transformation in the Agricultural sector. “The hub serves as a collaborative space where ideas flourish and partnerships thrive. The hub is set to become the epicenter of digital innovation in the Niger Delta Region.”
BusinessDay gathered that key services of the Digital Innovation Hub include access to market whereby a platform would be available to serve as a one-stop-shop for market linkages and networking.
There is also access to finance which would link agribusinesses to available grants and loans to enhance their business operations.
It was equally gathered that capacity building through training would be a major prong of the scheme. It would provide capacity building trainings for the micro, small, medium enterprises that would consist of both technical training and business development training.
Other prongs include market intelligence on the agric industry whereby industry data is provided to help MSMEs in decision-making. There would also be tech solutions for agribusinesses. This would facilitate linkage to markets and finance, access to industry data, and some business management tools like record keeping.
Another important prong would be community building that would in involve the implementation what they called DIH’s activities in the various Niger Delta States to foster healthy relationships between community members while promoting the economic growth of the States.
Wilder Perspectives is indicated as a multi-faceted business development company which lays emphasis on contributing to economic development and constantly seek opportunities to carry out pioneering work. Some tasks said to have been executed in this direction include their annual SME Development Conferences in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers States, a drive they say provides avenue for SMEs (start-ups and businesses that require expansion) and stakeholders in the SME space to engage, network, share information, promote their brand/exhibit & connect to large buyers.
