The lab located at the capital’s
Gudu District, ITRealms gathered, would support a global network of
innovation hubs, academia and industry through technical and creative skills
training.
The center is the brainchild of Oscar Ekponimo, the creator
behind Chowberry Incorporated., an innovative web app that helps retailers cut
food waste for disadvantaged households. Ekponimo was named by Time magazine in
2017 as a Next Generation Leader for his Chowberry social enterprise in
providing affordable food nutrition to families and nonprofit organizations involved
in hunger relief services.
ITRealms
reports that the aim of the center is to provide space, develop ideas and
conduct workshops to foster home-grown creative solutions to Africa’s
challenges by supporting next generation talent across disciplines ranging from
health and renewable energy to agriculture.
Equipped with advanced prototyping tools and
machines supplied by Ars Electronica and funding from the Austrian Government,
this ‘brainbox lab’ will bring together international scientists, technologists
and media artists to produce jointly developed projects, skills training and
knowledge transfer with talented Nigerian students and start-up entrepreneurs.
An open call for submissions from the creative community was
announced at the launch which will bring in the centre’s first cohorts.
Finalists will have their works showcased later this fall at the annual Ars
Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria.
In her remarks, Austrian General
Counsel Mrs. Karin Pregler commented on the importance of supporting bilateral
initiatives with the launch of the new research lab: “[Gallery of Code] is an
initial pilot and is one of the ways the Austrian Mission facilitates exchange
and cooperation between Austrian entities and countries in which they
work.”
Also speaking at the event was
Special Assistant on Innovation and Entrepreneurship Mr. Ife Adebayo, advisor
to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who discussed the current administration’s
continued commitment to support startup initiatives such as Gallery of Code in
fostering Nigeria’s entrepreneurial and innovation landscape.
Speaking earlier, Ekponimo said, “Ars Electronica
brings a global network of advanced scientific and technological know-how. I am
confident that Gallery of Code will be the epicenter of revolutionary
inventions and innovation that will solve many of Africa’s challenges.”
Other guests at the event included representatives from the
Embassy of Japan; the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and Universal
Service Provision Fund (USPF).
Chuks Egbune/GEE
