Re-imagining community innovation spaces and digital labs: Platforms for serendipity
By Dr Bosun Tijani
Following a series of engagements with my colleagues from the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and our agencies, I am pleased to share a comprehensive map highlighting community spaces and digital labs supported by the ministry and agencies, including USPF, NCC and NITDA.
The spaces on the map cover a diverse range, including the Digital Bridge Institutes, school-based computer labs, community computer centres and innovation hubs. These are investments that have been made by the Ministry to reduce the digital divide across our communities while mainstreaming the culture of innovation and creativity.
While I recognise that not all of the spaces will be active and operational, my experience allows me to see their potential as platforms for serendipity. If adequately curated, they will inspire collaboration amongst our people to co-create exciting solutions to social and business challenges in Nigeria and beyond.
As we scope out the ministry’s strategic blueprint, we are committed to ensuring that the investment and efforts of the previous government are properly harnessed for our common benefit. To this end, our immediate tasks will include the following:
1. Assessment – We will adopt and execute a cost-effective and efficient means of ascertaining the current state of the spaces.
2. Regeneration – Where necessary, we will collaborate with partners to co-create new models for re-energising the spaces for sustainable impact.
3. Transformation – Keeping our people at the centre of all we do, we are committed to animating these spaces as last-mile hubs for empowerment and context-based innovation.
Community spaces are social infrastructure, which are critical to our ambition of deepening our economy through technology and innovation. With collective effort, we will be able to leverage these spaces to promote digital literacy and unite our communities towards delivering a more inclusive and prosperous future for our nation.
Dr Bosun Tijani is the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
