Financial Services Innovators (FSI), a not-for-profit organisation in Lagos dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, is thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with the Federal University of Technology Minna, a federal tertiary institution registered in Nigeria.
The International Centre for Emerging Technology (ICET) will work closely with FSI to achieve the collaboration’s objective of empowering startups and driving technological innovation in the school.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between FSI and FUTMINNA took place on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at the Vice-Chancellor’s Conference Room, Main Campus, and it signifies a shared commitment to nurturing the startup ecosystem in Nigeria.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Faruk Adamu Kuta, highlighted the university’s dedication to technological advancements and its role in addressing contemporary challenges. He emphasised the importance of training individuals to be self-reliant, noting that insecurity in Nigeria is often linked to a lack of skills and opportunities.
He noted that one of the problems facing Nigeria today is insecurity and the major cause is the inability to train people to be self-reliant.
Prof. Kuta assured us that management would do everything possible to ensure a fruitful collaboration, as the institution is always interested in seeing things work well. He commended the management of FSI for collaborating with the university.
The Executive Director of FSI, Dr Aituaz Kola-Oladejo, expressed her gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor for the opportunity to collaborate and affirmed their commitment to enhancing technological innovations training for students and staff of the university.
She stated that this collaboration will encompass a range of initiatives, including facilitating technological innovation in Nigeria by empowering start-ups, innovators and technology companies with required knowledge and skills, discovering tech talents in the university and connecting them to potential partners and sponsors; establishing a new initiative known as Virtual Innovation Lab in the school to drive innovation, mentorship, and training amongst the students.
FUTMINNA, on the other hand, would provide space, Internet access and resource persons to drive the project, Financial Services Innovators would establish the virtual innovation Lab, and coordinate, design and implement all necessary programmes for the project.
The partnership aims to leverage FSI’s technological expertise and insights from the technology ecosystem to foster innovation and empower individuals to tackle societal issues effectively.
