Lagos Innovates rallies startup founders at first LaunchPad orientation

By Adebola Muili

The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), through its Lagos Innovates initiative, has brought together a new cohort of startup founders under its IdeaHub and Workspace Voucher programmes at the first-ever Lagos Innovates LaunchPad Orientation in Lagos.

The orientation, held on Thursday at The Zone, Gbagada, brought together government officials, private-sector partners, members of the innovation ecosystem and emerging entrepreneurs, with emphasis on strengthening support for early-stage businesses.

Speaking on behalf of LSETF, the Director of Programmes and Coordination, Mrs. Oyindamola Egbeyemi, described the initiative as a strategic shift in the way the state engages with startup founders.

“This is more than a welcome event. It reflects our commitment to support founders not as recipients of a one-time intervention, but as partners we journey with from the first idea to the first hire and beyond,” she said.

According to LSETF, the orientation was the first time beneficiaries of the two flagship Lagos Innovates programmes were brought together at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey under a structured onboarding process.

The agency said the Workspace Voucher Programme, since its inception in 2018, had provided subsidised access to professional workspaces worth over N366 million across more than 57 innovation hubs in Lagos.

When combined with the IdeaHub Programme, the interventions have supported more than 1,200 startups across the state, LSETF said.

The programmes, according to the agency, are designed to strengthen early-stage businesses through access to mentorship, infrastructure, partnerships and a vibrant innovation community.

The event also featured testimonies from alumni founders who have benefited from Lagos Innovates support.

Among them was Fatima Yusuf, founder of House of Zibima, a sustainable fashion brand that converts plastic waste into footwear and has expanded into international markets following her participation in the IdeaHub Programme.

Another beneficiary, Jeremiah Nwobodo of Presibo Technologies, said access to a professional workspace through the Workspace Voucher Programme helped position his health-tech startup for engagements with hospitals and investors.

LSETF said the experiences of the alumni demonstrated the broader objective of Lagos Innovates to help founders move from survival to scale and from local ambition to global opportunities.

Egbeyemi reaffirmed the commitment of the Lagos State Government to building an innovation-driven economy through investments in entrepreneurs, technology and partnerships.

“Lagos secures its place as Africa’s innovation capital by deliberately investing in its people, founder after founder and cohort after cohort,” she added.

The orientation featured ecosystem engagement sessions, founder onboarding and alumni conversations aimed at preparing the new participants to maximise opportunities available under the IdeaHub and Workspace Voucher programmes.

With the new cohort formally onboarded, LSETF said it remained focused on helping the selected founders build sustainable businesses capable of creating jobs, attracting investment and contributing to the growth of the Lagos economy.