April Newsletter – Showcase

The month of April at Startup kano.

Dear valued community members, how was the Eid celebrations? May Allah reward all our acts of Ibadah.

We hope this newsletter finds you in good spirits and good health. We have had a busy and exciting month, and we are thrilled to share with you some of the highlights.

Firstly, we are thrilled to announce that Startup Kano is the state adoption lead for Kano state in the adoption of the Nigeria Startup Act. This act aims to address the challenges faced by startups and entrepreneurs in Nigeria’s technology ecosystem, providing them with access to funding, mentorship, and other essential resources. This is a game-changer for the startup and technology ecosystem in Nigeria, and we are excited to work together to build a brighter future for Nigeria’s startup community.

Next is to announce the completion of the  Creative Economy Support Programme (CESP)by the  British council, brought to you by Sartup Kano and Wish society. 

The CESP is divided into to categories, the craleative showcase and the creative hustle. The events showcased the amazing talents of artists in Kano.

 The ‘Creative Showcase’ event, held on Monday, 24th April 2023, featured traditional performances that left the audience mesmerized.

TheThe CESP aims to create opportunities for young people to earn a sustainable living from their creativity. Participants like Maryam Salisu Gwamna, an entrepreneur of traditional perfumes, expressed their excitement for the opportunity to showcase their products to new audiences. It’s exciting to see initiatives like this that celebrate Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

The Creative Hustle seminar was held on Tuesday, 25th April 2023, with the theme “Reframing Disability and Ensuring Inclusion in the Creative Industry” at Sea Sweet & Bakery, Bompai, Kano. The event offers creatives the opportunity to gain awareness on the range of artistic and inartistic livelihood opportunities available across the creative value sector channels.

Followed by an article by Eberechukwu from Technext.

Aisha Tofa  founder at Startup Kano talks about her entrepreneurial journey and how Startup Kano has raised over $1 million in funding for various startups, including BRYCOAL, which produces cooking and heating fuel from organic waste. Despite facing resistance in a challenging environment, Aisha persevered and won the 2023 UN Feature Award for promoting innovation and technology for gender equality. Her success story is a source of inspiration for all of us at Start up Kano, aspiring entrepreneurs and women in the tech industry.

We are also thrilled to announce that the Pitchstar Women founders cohort has been launched. The program will officially commence on the 2nd of May 2023.

Our partnerships and collaborations.

Startup Kano and Kano chronicle Join  hands to bring you this months Kano and the future if ecommerce episode.

We had an exciting and informative Twitter Space episode on e-commerce payment gateway and business in Kano, Northern Nigeria, with the seasoned IT professional, Idris Muhammad Kabir. He had over 13 years of experience in various industries, making him a master of his craft.

As a software engineer, Idris’s expertise in building scalable and fault-tolerant systems shone through as he shared his experiences with developing innovative fintech services, including zain pay.ng, zainmoni.ng, zain POS, and zain Microfinance Bank.

In addition, We are thrilled to introduce the Creative Economy E-Learning Programme, designed to help aspiring young African entrepreneurs build and grow their businesses. With free online courses tailored to meet the needs of early-stage entrepreneurs, participants will learn from experienced mentors and industry experts. Upon completion, participants will receive a certificate of achievement, which can help them stand out in the job market and demonstrate their commitment to entrepreneurship.

Government initiatives

 Makoyar Fasaha Train-the-Trainer Program.

we’re thrilled to see the effort being made to bridge the digital skills gap and create a more inclusive and equitable society. By providing female educators in Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, and Kano states with market-relevant digital skills training, this programme is empowering adolescent girls with the digital skills they need to succeed in the future. It’s a movement that is transforming the way girls learn and empowering them with the tools to break through barriers and reach their full potential.

Also the Sokoto State government and seven donor agencies are supporting a cutting-edge digital literacy and livelihood skills training program for adolescent girls in Sokoto state. The program aims to unlock the potential of 50 resilient young girls who have endured unimaginable hardships but refuse to be defined by their past.

That’s it for this month’s newsletter. We would like to thank everyone who participated in our events and made them a success. We are committed to continuing our efforts to empower and support entrepreneurs in Northern Nigeria.

Stay tuned for more exciting news and events from Startup Kano. If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all of our latest news and initiatives.

Don’t forget to connect with us on all our social media platforms, follow @startupkano on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.  Keep liking and keep sharing. We appreciate your constant attention, please write to us @ emailfor any questions or suggestions. We would love to hear from you.