Node Eight Is Investing In Young African Innovators And Startups Building The Future
Feb. 28, 2023, 1:29 a.m.
Node Eight is a digital hub located in Ho, Ghana, investing in young African innovators and startups building the future. At Node Eight, the team understands that innovation is a process that improves efficiency and timeliness. That is why they undertake every task from an innovative, seamless, iterative, and digital approach.
Founded in 2017, Node Eight was established to bring global and national funding opportunities, capacity-building programs in emerging digital skills, and entrepreneurship programs closer to the Volta region and across the nation. Its founders? Brian Dzansi and Mawuli Amenyedo.
“Five years on, our goal is to impact the lives of innovators and entrepreneurs across Africa with our programs and insight,” - Brian Dzansi, Co-founder. “ We’ve worked with key local and international partners such as GIZ, MEST Africa, Ho Technical University, and UNDP.”
Node Eight provides digital skills training in emerging technologies (software development, Data science, Product Design), gives entrepreneurship support (market access, investment readiness, fundraising) an inclusive space, and a community for young people to build sustainable ventures and be ready for the future of work.
“We make innovation easier for everyone by encouraging tech adoption among young people, by encouraging the use of design thinking in problem-solving, by designing projects and programs that influence innovation,” the team mentioned.
For this reason, Node Eight has equipped more than 1000 youths in the region with digital talent building, enterprise support, and cultural influencing. The digital hub has also organized 15 outreach initiatives in addition to facilitating financial support for 15 businesses. Furthermore, the company has trained 400 entry-level digital talents, out of which 100 have gained employment.
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For its strategic growth plan for the year, Node Eight aims to increase digital adoption in its community and use digital careers as pathways to address unemployment. The firm aims to increase digital adoption through literacy training such as; Information literacy, Cybersecurity literacy, Digital solutions literacy, and Digital selling.
Node Eight will also empower young people with the technical and soft skills required to become employed in the digital economy. “Our program has a mix of intense digital skills boot camp, internship, certification, portfolio building and employability skills- CV, Interview support.”
Some success stories of last year
- SDGs Innovation Challenge
As part of Node Eight’s commitment to champion Sustainable Development Goals, they have consistently pushed for opportunities to help drive innovation that will transform Ghana and the world. In 2022, Node Eight, in partnership with the SDGs Advisory Unit of the Office of the President, UNDP, AGI, and Ho Technical University organized an SDG Innovation Challenge. The event was part of the Volta Region’s Edition of the SDGs Day Out. Ten Ghanaian startups addressing problems related to any of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals pitched to a panel of four (4) judges.
The event which happened at the GM Afeti Auditorium of the Ho Technical University had Mrs. Fatoumata Gakou (Deputy CEO of Bank of Africa), Dr. Eugene Owusu (the President Advisor of SDGs), Dr. Angela Lusigi (Resident Representative of UNDP), Mr. Charles Bani (UN Resident Coordinator), Traditional Rulers, Tertiary students from Universities, Entrepreneurs, Senior High School students, and the public was in attendance. Emblem Farms and WASH Advancement Center (WAC) emerged as winners with a cash prize of GHC 45, 000 and incubation for their innovative ideas that address Sustainable Development Goals.
- JA Google Certification Program
In the final quarter of the year, Node Eight in partnership with Junior Achievement Ghana funded by Google.org has offered scholarships to forty-two (42) young people with low-socio economic backgrounds to acquire professional certificates in IT Support, UX Design, Data Analytics, and Project Management on Coursera. This partnership aims at providing Ghana’s youth with the tools and skills they need to be prepared adequately for professional futures as entrepreneurs who create jobs for themselves and others or as employees who add value to their employers. Successfully certified participants were eligible for employment apprenticeships, internships, and jobs. Furthermore, they continue to receive coaching and mentorship about opportunities, trends, and challenges in the ICT industry by ICT professionals to guide and enhance their job search.
- Pre-MEST Digital Marketing Training
In 2022, MEST Africa and Node Eight trained and graduated sixty young people under the Pre-MEST Digital Marketing Program. The program is under the MasterCard Foundation’s Pathways to Sustainable Employment Program. It empowers beneficiaries to acquire skills in digital marketing in eight weeks and work experience by interning with local and international companies for 4 weeks.
The firm is currently managed by Courage Asase as M.D. with a team of 12 strong supporting employees.
tag: Africa, Funding, Entrepreneurship, Business, Startup, Node Eight, Innovators, GIZ, MEST, Innovation,
Verny Joy Author
Verny loves to write poetry, fiction and quotes. Her love for writing landed her in journalism. She loves gadgets and travelling to explore new places.