Becoming Innovation-Driven - The Innovate for Africa Experience

I used to think innovation was such a complex thing, now I know it is completely different from complexity. Innovation is about looking around you to identify problems and proffer workable solutions to such problems. It is about looking at the status quo and trying to change it to better the lives of people.

At the Innovate for Africa Innovation Readiness Program for January 2021 cycle, we were taken through several curriculums that have been classified into for places which are;

1. Personal Branding

2. Design Thinking

3. Strategic Analysis

4. Hard Skills Lab

Personal Branding

Under this learning, I learned to present myself in a better way. I understood that I have so much in me but the inability to communicate it both verbally and in written form has limited the utilization of my potential. I learned to package my resume in a way that an employer will be interested in me and also give a summary of who I am in a way that my values can be identified by anyone at a glance. Additionally, I learned to communicate at work place; such as sending emails, expressing my feelings in a professional manner.

Design Thinking

During the program, I learned to solve problems by applying design thinking methodology such as Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test. I was made to understand that the design thinking process is a non-linear process. Using design thinking, we were to identify a problem as a group and proffer solution to the problem. My group identified a problem which was: Youth need ways to land great jobs but they lack in-demand digital skills. We used a design thinking process to ideate a solution called JobEase, a platform to connect entry level graduate level with employees.

Strategic Analysis

Strategic analysis was one of the exciting parts for me. I was opportune to analyze Jumia as a company to understand their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT). Also, I carried out the STEEPLE Analysis of the same Jumia. I learned something very great in this process and this built in me what it takes to move a startup forward once I get an offer at one.

HardSkill Lab

Learning what takes other people six months to a year to learn in only 4 weeks is a great fit. My hard skill lab track was product management. I learned the fundamentals of product management and used the knowledge to consult for a startup called DUMA in combination with my team members - Ibukun Ijiyera and Karen Ziboh. DUMA is Nigeria's B2B marketplace enabling entrepreneurs to buy and sell quality products through an integrated mobile app platform. This process was thorough for me but one of the values of IFA which is GRIT kept me going. I couldn’t believe that I could get the job done in a short while. It was really an exciting experience for me.

KEY TAKEAWAY

My key takeaway in the course of this program is that one should learn to adapt to different situations. I was paired with people whom I’ve just met within 6 hours to work on a project virtually; this was a very hard thing because we are all from different backgrounds. So I decided to listen more when people talk on the team to ensure that my opinion is not being forced on anyone. By doing this, I was able to work with the different teams I was paired with and we produced excellent outputs.

Much more, great lessons were learned from the guest speakers sessions. It was an amazing experience because we had people who started like us sharing their story. For me, it was a moment of hope that if they could do it, I could do it better.

Overall, the IFA experience is just starting for me as I join a startup to apply all I’ve learned. I will be one of those who will make IFA proud in the marketplace.