Venia Business Hub will hold the 2018 edition of its co-working conference on Thursday, July 26 at IMAX Filmhouse, Lekki, Lagos.
The conference, which is an annual gathering of policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, service providers, including the media and co-working space operators, will see stakeholders discuss salient issues affecting the growth and development of co-working spaces in Nigeria.
CEO, Venia Business Hub and creator, Coworking Conference Nigeria, Kola Oyeneyin, said the co-working industry is an emerging force that is shaping the entrepreneurial ecosystem globally.
According to him, co-working conferences take place around the world, helping to shape the agenda for a better industry.
“We are happy to see various stakeholders embracing co-working and leveraging on its possibilities to drive entrepreneurship. LagosInnovates is one such example of the response to co-working conference and we expect to see much more exciting collaborations and initiatives by various ecosystem enablers,” explained Mr Oyeneyin.
With the theme “Co-working: The Catalyst for Innovation”, the 2018 conference is aimed at connecting the dots of how co-working, co-creation, collaboration and technology are spurring innovation, entrepreneurship, wealth and job creation while charting the course for a new economy and the future of work.
Speakers include Dr. Omobola Johnson – Partner at TLCom and former Honourable Minister of Communication Technology; Iyin Aboyeji of Flutterwave – Africa’s leading payment platform; Kola Aina – Chairman, Ventures Park, and Ola Brown of Greentree Investment Company, amongst others.
The conference has grown since its first edition was held in 2017 when Venia Business Hub unveiled the opportunities and value chain of this nascent industry.
Oyeneyin further explained that the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Nigeria has seen a fundamental shift since the emergence of co-working and tech hubs, with many leading start-ups tracing their start-up locations to co-working spaces – including Taxify, Flutterwave, Branch Int’l and AutoGenius, amongst others.
