Ekiti Secures $800,000 UNDP Support for ICT Start-up Hub Development

The Ekiti State Government has secured an $800,000 funding support facility from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to equip and furnish its Information Communications Technology Start-up Garage complex under construction in the state capital.

The Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Digital Economy, Mr Seun Fakuade, disclosed this during a live radio programme in Ado-Ekiti.

Fakuade said the facility, located within the State Secretariat complex, would be completed before the end of the year.

He said the project was part of Gov. Biodun Oyebanji’s strategy to position Ekiti as a knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy.

“The government is committed to ensuring that every child in public schools acquires a skill set that will make them globally competitive,” he said.

Fakuade said the initiative was driven by the need to address the declining relevance of some knowledge taught in schools in a rapidly changing global economy.

He said the Ministry of Innovation was collaborating with the State Ministry of Education to integrate “future of work” skills into the curriculum of public primary and secondary schools.

According to him, the programme will build on existing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training while incorporating practical, industry-relevant skills.

Fakuade said the initiative would be reinforced through Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) boot camps to expose students to hands-on learning and problem-solving.

He added that participants would engage in interactive workshops and collaborate with industry professionals.

The commissioner said the state had continued to invest in digital skills development, noting that such competencies were essential for entrepreneurship and employment.

Fakuade said that in September 2024, the ministry organised a pilot STEAM boot camp for selected public secondary school students across the 16 local government areas.

He said the training introduced participants to robotics, coding and digital creativity through hands-on learning.

Fakuade said the Ekiti Innovation Hub, also known as the Start-up Garage, had been strengthened to support start-ups and innovators developing solutions in agriculture, healthcare and education sectors.

He said that in 2025, the state organised a two-week robotics programme for students from selected public and private schools.

According to him, the programme exposed participants to programming and robotic design, equipping them with skills aligned with global standards.

Fakuade said the government had also established a robotics centre at the hub and procured training kits to support learning.

He added that the governor had approved the purchase of virtual reality headsets ahead of the second phase of the STEAM boot camp scheduled for later in the month.

The commissioner said an Innovation Enterprise Fund had been launched to support indigenes achieving breakthroughs in ICT research.

Fakuade further said the state had attracted 80 million dollars in funding from the African Development Bank for the Ekiti Knowledge Zone project.

He said the Federal Government had approved the zone as a Service Innovation and Free Trade Zone to boost job creation and attract investment.

According to him, facilities for the project are being designed, while compensation has been paid to landowners along the Ado–Ijan road corridor.