Facebook will open a “community hub space” in Nigeria next
year to encourage software developers and technology entrepreneurs and become
the latest technology giant to pursue a training programme in fast-growing
Africa.
The U.S. social media company said the centre would host an
“incubator programme” to help develop technology start-ups, while it will also
train 50,000 Nigerians in digital skills.
Africa’s rapid population growth, falling data costs and
heavy adoption of mobile phones rather than PCs is attracting technology
companies looking to attract more users
Facebook did not provide details of the period over which
its planned training would take place in Nigeria, which is Africa’s most
populous country with 180 million inhabitants.
“We understand the important role Facebook plays here in
Nigeria with developers and start-ups and are invested in helping these
communities,” Emeka Afigbo, its regional head of platform partnership, said in
a statement on Wednesday.
Facebook said the training - aimed at software developers,
entrepreneurs and students - would be offered in cities including the capital,
Abuja, Port Harcourt in the south, Calabar in the southeast and Kaduna in the
north.
Last year Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg visited
technology companies in Lagos and his charitable foundation provided $24
million to Andela, which trains developers.
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