Versecom Limited and IHS Nigeria in conjunction with Lagos Government unveil Energy and Environmental Hub in Alimosho, Lagos

Versecom Limited, in its continued drive to provide sustainable IT and power solutions for Africa, partners with IHS Nigeria Ltd and the Lagos State Government to unveil a state of the art energy and environmental low cost co-working space at Jafoja Park, Shasha, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The event was held on Tuesday the 29th of June 2021 at Jafoja Park, which is also the location of the IHS innovation Hub.

It featured dignitaries such as delegates from the Lagos State Park and Gardens Agency, Lagos Waste Management Authority, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council and representatives of the Oba of Shasha Kingdom.

What is the Energy and Environmental Hub?

The Hub is the first of a series of planned hubs and coworking spaces in Lagos State. It is a 700 person capacity coworking space with amenities such as WiFis, Air Conditioners, a serene environment, uninterrupted power supply among other perks. At a flat fee of just N1000 per day, freelancers, workers, and teams can enjoy all these services and more.

The interesting thing about the hub is that it has a research lab dedicated to testing out energy and waste management solutions and experiments. The lab boosts state of the art technology to help teams create and test power and waste management solutions.

According to Timilehin Odusina, the Manager of the Hub, though it can accomodate all manner of individuals and teams, the coworking space boasts solutions designed specifically for energy and waste management startups.

He notes that startups like these are very rare in Africa, due to the lack of support needed for them to test their products and scale them. He says the Hub is designed to tackle these problems. In the near future he believes it can serve as an incubator for teams solving these unique problems

Why is Alimosho the best place to start? Timilehin notes that its size, as the biggest Local Government in Lagos, and its strategic location linking to different parts of the state were the major advantages. He hopes that this coworking space will decluster the so-called tech hubs in Yaba and Ikeja and attract more talent to Alimosho and other planned places.

He also tells Benjamindada.com that this is just the first of many planned hubs and coworking spaces around Lagos State, designed to tackle unique problems. As an example, he reveals that there is another planned Hub to provide support and testing solutions to legal and entertainment startup teams.  

How the event went down

The event started with a welcome address and opening remarks from the IHS and Versecom team. They stressed the need for more public-private partnerships with governments such as this, to drive technological  innovation and advancement at scale. LASPARK in its remarks thanked the team for this value creation opportunity, noting that it not only approved use of the park, but also donated a 30KVA generator amongst others to ensure the smooth running of the hub.

Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council delegation commended the initiative and idea behind the hub. It noted that it had the potential to bring talent and new innovation in Lagos and in Alimosho in particular, with the possibility of being a launchpad and incubator for ambitious teams solving real problems around power and waste management.

On their part, the representatives for the Oba of Shasha were grateful for this new initiative. They pointed out the fact that tech hubs were springing up everywhere across Lagos, and Almisho will proudly be a part of this new trend. Next came the closing remark by the IHS team and a photograph session featuring delegates and other dignitaries.

Unveiling and Facility Tour

The facility was unveiled by Olatubosun Alake, who is a board member at the Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council. Then came a tour of the Hub led by Timilehin Odusina who showed dignitaries and guests around the hub and its facilities. The research lab was also unveiled and opened for a tour and inspection by the guests.

Some Final Thoughts

Due to Covid, the launch of the facility was delayed for a while, but it has now been opened and is fully geared for use. The plan for these coworking spaces is as ambition as it is commendable. Technology and innovation should be spread out across every part of the state. These are the early days, but the possibilities seem endless.