#StartupSouth is a Startup/Entrepreneurship ecosystem development and advocacy organization on a mission to educate, connect and attract investment to Startups in the South-South and South-East of Nigeria. It is a social enterprise that believes in the power of entrepreneurship for development. Every year, they bring together the best innovators, thought leaders, founders, investors, policy makers etc from across Nigeria and it’s regions to a city in the South-South/South-East for networking, business education and investment opportunities. With this initiative, Over 5000 people have attended a StartupSouth event/training physically/online and over $500,000 Dollars  has been raised by #StartupSouth inititatives in the region.

In commemoration of International Youth Day 2024 and in line with its theme , the NDLink team had a chat with the Convener of #Startupsouth,  as he sheds light on how  the initiative has Transformed the startup ecosystem in the region,  supporting and creating  opportunities for lots of young people within the South-South and South-East through the creation of innovative ventures which are profitable and scalable.

It’s great to have you with us sir, please Can we meet you:

My name is Uche Aniche. I am a Startup Ecosystem development advocate focusing primarily on the South-South and South-East regions of Nigeria. I am the Convener of #StartupSouth which is a Startup ecosystem development and advocacy organization inspiring founders building high-scale ventures in Nigeria with particular focus on the South-South and South-East regions. I am also the Co-founder of South-South-East Angel Network (SSEAN) – an Angel Network of professionals investing in founders within the region. SSEAN is an offshoot of #StartupSouth. Following the work we are doing with #StartupSouth and SSEAN, a colleague and I decided to setup the first ever Venture Capital Firm based out of Port Harcourt called Rebel Seed Capital.

IYD 2024’s theme is “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development.” How does this resonate with you and the work you do through #StartupSouth?

I think this is a very innovative theme in that it identifies the key trend within the demography we are celebrating. There’s a lot of progress being made through innovation and a lot of opportunities in the digital economy ecosystem. For instance, it’s becoming very easy for people to live and work remotely for global organizations all made possible through ‘Clicks’.

Could you share the vision behind #StartupSouth and what inspired you to initiate this movement?

#StartupSouth has a vision to support and enable opportunities for lots of young people within the South-South and South-East through the creation of innovative ventures at scale. We believe that businesses who aspire to grow very big as quickly hold immense opportunity for our region’s economic development and technological leaning businesses represents an ideal type of such ventures.

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How has #StartupSouth empowered youth in the Niger Delta through digital innovation, and what motivated your focus on this region? Aside from creating regular Conferences that enable young people to connect with people they’d mostly see on TVs or connect to investors etc., through SSEAN, we have mobilized approximately $500,000 in investment to mostly youth led Startups in the past three years. We focused on the region because we observed the migratory trends by mostly young people in search of greener pastures away from the region and realized that if nothing is done to provide support to brilliant people to stay back and build opportunity creating ventures from here that we will all suffer for it.                                                                                                                                                                        

In what ways do you believe #StartupSouth’s mission aligns with the theme of International Youth Day 2024, “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development”? #StartupSouth mission is to enable founders to build high scale ventures across the South-South and South-East. We are mostly interested in solutions leveraging technology and digital skills and this is where the theme aligns with our mention.

What challenges have you faced while promoting digital skills and innovation among the youth in the Niger Delta, and how have you overcome them? I would say we have mostly faced the same types of challenges that people who try to introduce something new face. From initial rejections due to lack of understanding to eventual gradual acceptance.

Looking ahead, what are your future plans for #StartupSouth, particularly in fostering sustainable development through digital pathways for the youth? What advice do you have for stakeholders and policymakers to support this progress? Looking ahead, we want to see a more digitally vibrant region and will work with State Governments and stakeholders across several states to ensure that this happens. We want to see an enabling environment that supports the emergence of Unicorns from within our regions. We want to ensure that states in the regions can compete globally in terms of innovation and  talents.

Thank you, Mr. Uche, for sharing your insights and the remarkable work you’re doing with #StartupSouth. It’s truly inspiring to see how your initiatives are transforming the startup ecosystem in the South-South and South-East regions, empowering young people through digital innovation and creating opportunities for sustainable development. Your dedication to fostering a digitally vibrant region and your commitment to youth participation are making a significant impact on the Niger Delta. We appreciate your time today and look forward to seeing the continued success of #StartupSouth in driving growth and development across these regions.