Port-harcourt Hubs host Facebook Head of Platform Partnerships in Middle East and Africa, Chukwuemeka Afigbo

Tech Hubs and Start-Ups in Port-Harcourt are still reeling from the recent visit of Facebook’s Head of Platform Partnerships in Middle East and Africa, Chukwuemeka Afigbo to the Garden City on the 28th of April. During the visit, he had several meet-ups with Port-Harcourt’s tech and start-up ecosystem. His purpose - To engage with start-up entrepreneurs and business owners on how Facebook can assist in developing the tech ecosystem in their communities.

He was hosted at the Skybar lounge at Genesis Galleria, GRA, where he interacted with developers, tech enthusiasts, bloggers and start-up founders. Emeka narrated his very interesting story of his sojourn into tech, first with SocketWorks and subsequently Google then Facebook. To Emeka, the biggest threat facing the tech ecosystem in Africa and the Middle East is the difficulty to scale product team as start-ups gains traction. He advised start-ups and techprenuers to be consistent in whatever they do irrespective of how small.  For startups training developers, he urged them to provide some form of incentive for the trainees like post- training hiring opportunities, similar to the Andela model.

Emeka also toured Port-Harcorut tech hubs like Ken Saro Wiwa hub, Bubbles, Olotu Square and KoWorkNg which are all hubs for start-ups and tech entrepreneurs in Port-Harcourt. His visit to Port-Harcourt was facilitated Uche Aniche of Venuehero.co / Start-Up South South and Bereni Fiberisima of Start-Up Port-Harcourt, both widely acclaimed start-up grandmasters in Port-Harcourt city.