British Council Nigeria – creating opportunities for creative tech entrepreneurs

An innate drive to create new opportunities and create value for survival and posterity is at the heart of the success of many businesses and individuals in the Nigeria. This has had a great impact on Nigeria’s economic development through the creation of jobs and in many instances, community development.

Through its Creative Economy Programme, the British Council has been creating opportunities for young creative entrepreneurs in Nigeria by offering individuals and organisations training in business and digital skills, networking events, access to new markets, connections to resources and financial opportunities

As part of their 75th anniversary in Nigeria, they are celebrating 75 of their programme participants whose lives, businesses and communities have been impacted positively following the participation. One of such entrepreneurs is Mohammed Bayero Yayandi.

Thanks to you, technology entrepreneur Mohammed Bayero Yayandi, who was a 2018 participant of the British Council supported Creative Hustle in Kano, children in Nigeria are learning how to code and use digital data to transform their lives.

The British Council’s Creative Hustle 2018 attracted Mohammed Bayero Yayandi because it was a seminar-style event that offers young people aged 18 – 35 the opportunity to gain awareness of the breadth of artistic and non-artistic livelihood opportunities available across creative sector value chains.

Attending it was a game-changer for Mohammed, he says, due to the opportunities it offered to network with critical creative thinkers.

“I believe that there is a creative fusion between all disciplines and that I can make change happen within my community using my digital skills,” he says. “In the last two years, I have used my developing skills as a volunteer in community development, where I focused advocating for causes including No Hate Speech, Education, Girls’ Rights, Early Child Marriage, Violence Extremism and Health and Peace using my tech skills.”

Mohammed has also been serving as Head of Children’s Affairs and Technology for Children and Young People Living for Peace (CYPLP), a youth-driven organization working in disadvantaged areas and areas prone to violence in Nigeria. It works to enable young people to become active citizens, to tackle the root causes of violence, and to build community cohesion.

He is also the founder of YandyTech Solutions, a network teaching and sharing opportunities for youth and children to learn how to code, design and developing websites and to use data to provide useful insight that tells meaningful stories.

Mohammed is also now a member of the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth. This is the United Nations General Assembly mandated, official, formal and self-organised space for children and youth to contribute to and engage in certain intergovernmental and allied policy processes at the United Nations.

British Council is inviting past programme participants to celebrate its 75th anniversary with them by submitting stories of their experience and the impact it has had. Visit www.britishcouncil.org.ng  for more information about how to participate in the 75 Stories campaign or follow #BritishCouncilNigeriaAt75 #ThanksToYou #75Stories