Huawei Cloud has recently launched a programme in Nigeria, pledging US$10mn in cloud credits to support 100 Nigerian startups over the next two years
The commitment was made during the Huawei Cloud Startup Summit in Lagos on April 3, 2024. This summit convened over 150 industry startups, venture capitalists, and partners to explore startup innovation and digital transformation. The initiative aims to foster innovation and growth by granting startups access to advanced cloud resources and creating a supportive ecosystem.
In his keynote speech, Hugo Hu, director of Huawei Cloud, encouraged Nigerian startups to collaborate on innovation and contribute to shaping Nigeria's digital economy. He highlighted the challenges facing startups, such as technology, funding, data security, and compliance, emphasising the role of cloud technology in accelerating innovation.
Nurturing Nigerian startup ecosystem
Huawei Cloud aims to support Nigerian startups by providing them with easy access to cost-effective cloud resources and opportunities for business growth. "We firmly believe that Huawei Cloud is the ideal choice for Nigerian startups," stated Hu.
Through its startup program, Huawei Cloud will offer cloud-native infrastructure, professional services, and up to US$150,000 in cloud credits to each participating startup. This initiative aims to reduce cloud service costs by 40% for Nigerian startups and connect them with potential clients and investors in 177 countries.
Dotun Adekunle, Senior vice-president of Flutterwave, highlighted the importance of cloud services in enabling companies to compete globally, noting that Flutterwave's efficiency would be compromised without utilising cloud technology.
Huawei Cloud aims to onboard 10,000 startups globally by 2025, with over 3,000 already enlisted, including a significant number from Africa.
Paul Adigu, Ecosystem director of Huawei Cloud Nigeria, outlined three key initiatives to achieve the startup program's objectives: leveraging advanced cloud platforms, nurturing startup talent, and providing essential business resources.
Huawei Cloud is dedicated to building a robust cloud infrastructure for a connected world and plans to introduce a local cloud in Nigeria by 2024, with 88 availability zones established across 30 global regions.
