Somalia is launching its first community-based tech innovation hub in the capital Mogadishu this month.
The iRise Hub will offer Somali entrepreneurs, innovators, developers, investors, techies and startups the working space to share ideas, connect and collaborate with each other.
It was founded by a group of young men who hope to transform Somalia into a digital and tech entrepreneurship hub.
In an interview with Quartz Africa, the principal founder of iRise, Abdihakim Ainte said their vision is to catch up with the rest of the world by realizing the full potential of Somalia’s tech sector.
Somalia is still unstable with the al Shabaab insurgency hindering the development of the country.
The security risks are coupled with limited internet access and lack of innovation policies to grow the fertile ground for technology.
Nonetheless, the young people in Somalia have showed interest in technology with the increased access to smartphones and the internet.
The introduction of iRise Hub will allow tech entrepreneurs access to incubation and training programmes as well as resources to develop their ideas.
Africa alone has over 300 tech innovation hubs and the big boys like South Africa, Egypt and Kenya have had theirs expand over the years.
South Africa has 54 hubs, Egypt has 28, Kenya has 27, Morocco has 21, Ghana has 16, Tunisia has 15, Uganda has 12 and Senegal has 10.