Nigerian incubator Co-Creation Hub Nigeria (CcHub) has announced the launch of its new edtech initiative re:learn, an open living lab focused on learning and the smart application of technology in schools.
CcHub has operated in the education technology space for the last five years, and will now use re:learn as its umbrella for all education initiatives.
The re:learn centre will open in Abuja later this year, expanding CcHub’s work in the area of education to the northern and eastern parts of Nigeria. It will host programmes such as the Summer of Code, a four-week course aimed at introducing young people to computer programming, which has already launched in Lagos.
“Through a combination of projects targeted at research and learning, re:learn is committed to bridging the education gap both locally and internationally, by enhancing learning experience in schools,” CcHub said.
“From teacher training workshops, to in and out of school programmes, re:learn is raising a new generation of digitally adept students and equipping them with 21st century skills necessary for building solutions to address modern challenges, and thriving irrespective of geography.”
The hub said re:learn will also provide support to the tech-community by supporting edtech startups.
The new initiative sees CcHub start 2016 with the same level of activity it finished a busy 2015. Disrupt Africa reported in December the hub had partnered Venture Garden Group, Omidyar Network and the Bank of Industry to launch the NGN1 billion (US$5 million) Social Innovation Fund.
The fund – which the partners say is the first of its kind in Nigeria – will back young entrepreneurs with solutions to local problems, with a particular focus on “next generation infrastructure”.
Applications are now open, with individual startups to be offered funding of between US$50,000 and US$150,000. CcHub has been an enthusiastic backer of Nigerian startups in the past, launching a US$500,000 fund in 2014. Since 2012, the incubator has invested in 16 early stage ventures, including Truppr, Traclist, GoMyWay, Jekalo,Mamalette, GRIT Systems and Autobox.
In September last year, the hub announced the launch of TechSQUAD, a platform connecting local businesses and organisations without technical teams to local technologists to work on their digital projects.
The platform launched with 81 technologists shortlisted from the 247 that applied, with clients able to file a brief detailing their specific project on TechSQUAD.
Technologists on the platform then bid for the work, after which the client picks their preferred “SQUAD General”. This person then picks a team of members to work on the project, with CCHub managing quality assurance and testing before the completed project is handed over to the client for launch.
