Nigerian entrepreneur and co-founder of Andela, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji is currently developing a tech city which is called “Talent city”, a place that many Nigerians have compared to silicon valley. According to him, talent city is an innovative community designed and built for the future of work, where remote work-friendly policies, co-living, speedy internet, and reliable infrastructure seamlessly integrate with unrivaled digital knowledge.
Talent city is said to be built upon three pillars, which are; robust technology, quality infrastructure, and digital governance. The city is built to create an ideal work environment and community. It is backed by Pronomos, Charter Cities Institute, Ventures Platform, and Lofty Inc. Following its inauguration at Alaro City, Lagos, it has the ambition to roll out additional model cities in Africa.
According to the founder Iyinoluwa, in his words; “We are thrilled to announce our first talent city location in Lagos. Along with our partners, we have acquired a 72,000 sqm plot in Alaro city, Lagos new city in the Lekki free zone. Our prototype city will be home to 1,000 residents and 2,500 remote workers, featuring a central co-working campus along with a variety of housing options designed for a flexible remote-friendly lifestyle of the future. We are pleased to welcome the innovation and innovators of Talent city to Alaro city, where they will find an equal partner in antialiasing talent city’s revolutionary ambitions in the technology ecosystem”.
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This is indeed a laudable project from Iyin for deeming it fit to give not just Nigeria but Africa its own “silicon valley”. Just like in Silicon Valley which is known to be home to many start-ups and global technology companies such as Apple, Facebook, Google, and others.
With the development of Talent city in Nigeria, it is imperative to say that in no distant time Africa will be home to many global technology companies that will transform the tech ecosystem. The establishment of the talent city will lead to the creation of thousands of jobs and attract talents that will drive Africa’s technology, innovation, and digital economy forward. It will also boost the economy of the country as it will attract foreign investors.
The talent city is designed for remote work and built for the niche of tech entrepreneurs and professionals. It will also provide infrastructure for techs such as constant power and high-speed internet, favorable policies that enable innovation, and a like-minded community of people who live and work in proximity with each other.
It might interest you to know that talent city is built to scale across Africa. With its establishment in Lagos, the state continues to be a preferred location for most start-ups. A majority of the city’s most prominent start-ups are in Fintech. The growth of the tech sector in Lagos almost feels inevitable, a natural extension of just how much the city draws everything into its orbit. The state is currently the leading city for start-ups in Africa in 2021 according to statistics.
Many cities, including Lagos, are looking to replicate Silicon Valley’s magic formula and become the tech start-up hub of the future. Lagos remains the underdog, for now.