Nigeria-Bangladesh Youth Innovation Boot Camp Set to Foster Bilateral Cooperation
Oru Leonard
In bid to enhance job opportunities amongst youths in the country Nigeria-Bangladesh Business & Technology Forum (NBBTF) and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development (FMYD), have partnered with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) to host a pre-event youth hackathon in Nigeria. This event precedes the flagship Nigeria-Bangladesh Youth Innovation Boot Camp scheduled for July 2025.
The partnership aims to mobilize Nigeria’s dynamic youth and diaspora to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and bilateral cooperation.
Speaking during her response the Chairman, Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission, Dr Abike Dabiri-Arewa expressed delight in the collaboration, adding it was a timely intervention. She said that the Commission is ready and willing to participate in the program as long as it does not clash with NiDCOM events.
Earlier in his address, the President of the Nigerian Bangladesh Business and Technology Forum (NBBTF), Dr Bob Achanya disclosed that in the diaspora economy, both Nigeria and Bangladesh’s diasporas significantly contribute to their economies, with Nigeria receiving $25 billion and Bangladesh receiving $21.6 billion in remittances annually.
He said the outcomes of the collaboration will bring birth to over 500 joint ventures launched by Nigeria-Bangladesh youth teams in agri-tech, fintech, and renewable energy.
In addition there will be $10 million in diaspora-sourced seed funding disbursed via NIDCOM and BEWB channels.
He disclosed that 30% increase in female youth participation will be achieved through targeted outreach.
Top events in the agenda include:
- Hackathon Themes: Finalizing hackathon problem statements and judging criteria.
- Digital Boot Camp: Aligning the five-day digital boot camp with NiDCOM’s diaspora tech roadmap.
- G2G/MOU Frameworks: Structuring frameworks between NiDCOM and the Bangladesh Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare.
