All those who have registered for the event should see the website for updates.  We are going to have the Introduction of Startup Weekend at various meetings in Lagos.

We wish all Nigerians Happy 49th Independence Anniversary.

It is no longer news that the world has been hit by a severe financial crisis often compared to the Great Depression of the early 1930s and countless jobs have been lost worldwide due to this catastrophic phenomenon. It is scary to note that developed countries are shedding jobs, recording huge losses, cutting down on production cost and salaries. Worthy of note is the report that the UK has been hit by an unemployment figure of over 2.4 million which is the worst recorded over a decade. These are countries that have a well structured policy of job creation and backup policy to absorb the different fluctuations and shortcomings of the economy. I begin to wonder if there is hope for Nigeria, a less developed country where both the Private and Public sectors are all counting monumental losses, some banks are experiencing what you may call SYSTEMATIC FAILURE; where the Apex Bank has sacked the CEOs of major banks for gross insider abuse and the stock market experiencing a meltdown.

There are so many ways of helping the economy bounce back and diverse from its traditional mono-economic ways. One of which is to inject capital to the ailing and hungry sectors. Startup Weekend Nigeria is one of such avenues of doing just that. Fresh and radical business ideas proposed and funded from the scratch and new entrepreneurs are created. If you ask me, it’s like killing two birds with one stone. How?

By creating about 10 companies every Startup Weekend means new jobs would be created as well and the spin-offs could boost the economy, thereby complimenting the government’s efforts of job creation. Secondly, it’s also a way of capital injection to the cash strapped economy. Past minister of finance and present World Bank President, Dr (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala once said:

“Create entrepreneurs, because it is a definite catalyst for job and wealth creation.”

It might interest you to know that some of the biggest businesses in the United States started as startups which eventually turned to multibillion dollar companies. Believe it or not, Nigeria is blessed with a large array of great thinkers and business minds which are going to be harvested and utilized to full capacity through Startup Weekends in Nigeria. It would also address the issue of the pool of unemployed graduates and those fresh from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Scheme.

As a result of the global financial melt down which touched all the nooks and crannies of the world today and despite the stimuli provided by advanced countries like USA, UK and France to cushion the adverse effects of their financial crunch, salaries were slashed and jobs have been lost in various economic sectors. Presently individuals including most corporate organizations have lost confidence in portfolio investments. The question is: ”What next”?

In Nigeria, we have men and women with great ideas who are willing to take the plunge to attain greater heights. Startup Weekend Nigeria will avail you with opportunities to explore and bring out the best in you, because it is for those who have business focus.

Startup Weekend Nigeria is a digression from our mono-economy (economic system based on oil revenue) to other viable business opportunities like the dotcom boom.

Startup weekend has been operationally successful in over 13 countries and over 53 cities worldwide within 24 months with over 5,000 attendees and over 168 companies created so far. It is the first time in the West African sub region that we are going to have the Startup Weekend in October, in the mega city of Lagos, Nigeria. Startup Weekend is here to revolutionize the Nigerian economy and build dynamic social community networks for the benefit of all.

JOIN US!

~ Hope Obioma Opara is the CEO/MD of  Supple Communications Limited and the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Supple Magazine.

Our faith is the greatest pillar of our strength on earth.

The level of your faith will determine the level of your strength to overcome all the temptations, trials and weaknesses of life and to achieve the zenith of success.

Keep The Faith lyrics

If You Call Out Loud
Will It Get Inside
Through The Heart Of Your Surrender
To Your Alibis
And You Can Say The Words
Like You Understand
But The Power’s In Believing
So Give Yourself
A Chance * ‘Cause You Can
Climb The Highest Mountain
Swim The Deepest Sea, Hee
All You
Need Is The Will To Wart It
And Uhh, Little Self-Esteem
So Keep The Faith
Don’t Let Nobody Turn You ‘Round
You Gotta Know When It’s Good To Go
To Get Your Dreams
Up Off The Ground
Keep The Faith, Baby, Yea
Because It’s Just
A Matter Of Time
Before Your Confidence Will Win Out
Believe In Yourself
No Matter What It’s Gon’ Take
You Can Be A Winner
But You Got
To Keep The Faith
…Gon’ Keep It Brother
You Got It * And When You Think Of Trust
Does It Lead You Home
To A Place That You Only Dream Of
When You’re All Alone
And You Can Go
By Feel ‘Stead Of Circumstance
But The Power’s In Beliving
So Give Yourself A Chance
I Know That You Can Sail Across The Water
Float Across The Sky, High
Any Road That You Take
Will Get You There
If You Only Try
So Keep The Faith, Ow
Don’t Let Nobody Take You Down,
Brother
Just Keep Your Eyes On The Prize And Your Feet
Flat On The Ground
Keep The Faith, Baby, Yea
Because It’s Just A Matter Of Time
Before Your Confidence Will Win Out *
I Told My Brother How To Do The Thing Right
Lift Up Your Head And Show The World You Got Pride
Go For What You Want
Don’t Let ‘Em Get In Your Way
You Can Be A Winner
But You Got To Keep The Faith
Gon’ Keep It Brother
You Got It
I Know That Keepin’ The Faith
Means Never Givin’ Up On Love
But The Power That Love Has To Make It Right
Makes It Makes It Right
Keep The Faith
Don’t Let Nobody Turn You ‘Round Brother
You Got To KnowWhen It’s Good To Go
To Get Your Dreams Up Off The Ground
Keep The Faith Baby, Yea
Because It’s Just A Matter Of Time
Before Your Confidence Will Win Out
Better Stand Up And Act Like You Wanna Do Right
Don’t Play The Fool For The Rest Of Your Life
Work On It Brother And You’ll Make It
Someday Go For What You Want
And Don’t Forget The Faith
Look At Yourself
And What You Doin’ Right Now
Stand Back A Minute
Just To Check Yourself Out
Straighten Out Your Life
And How You’re Livin’ Each Day
Get Yourself Together
‘Cause You Got To Keep The Faith
Uh, Uh, Uh
Don’t Let Nobody Take You Down, Brother
Just Keep Your Eyes On The Prize
And Your Feet Flat On The Ground
Keep The Faith, Baby, Yea
Because It’s Just A Matter Of Time
Before Your Confidence Will Win Out
Lift Up Your Mind
Before Your Mind Gets Blown
Some Things In Life
You Best Just Leave Them Alone
Go For What You Want
Don’t Let It Get In Your Way
You Can Make It Happen
But Ya Got Ta Keep The Faith
Gon’ Keep It Brother
You Got To Keep The Faith
Yeah Keep The Faith
Gon’ Keep It Sister
You Got To Keep The Faith
Now, Now
I’ll Show My Brotha
How To Do The Thing Right
Lift Up Your Head
And Show The World You Got Pride
Go For What You Want
Don’t Let ‘Em Get In Your Way
You Can Be A Winner
If You Keep The Faith
Straighten Out Yourself
And Get Your Mind On Track
Dust Off Your Butt
And Get Your Self-Respect Back
You’ve Known Me Long Enough
To Know That I Don’t Play
Take It Like You Want It
But You Got To Keep The Faith Gon’
Don’t Let Nobody Take You Down
Just Keep Your Eyes On The Prize
And Get Your Feet Back On The Ground
Keep The Faith, Baby, Yea
Because It’s Lust
A Matter Of Time
Before Your Confidence Will Win Out
But Till That Day I Said You’ve Got To Keep The Faith!

Startup Weekend Nigeria is part of the startups revolution of the successful Startup Weekend in America and our goal is to propel Nigerians into the dot-com bubble as dot-com companies  did for America in the late 1990s when  such awesome phenomenal startups like Amazon.com and eBay and others were launched and millions of new jobs were created.

Startup Weekend Nigeria will propel the dotcom boom that will fast-track the MDGs for the realization of the ultimate goals of our Vision 2020.

We invite you to join us today for the nation building of a New Nigeria in the leadership of Africa in the comity of nations.