WorldStage Newsonline-- Nokia, a leading phone manufacturing company, in partnership with a Nigerian social innovation centre, Co-Creation Hub (CCHUB), have launched an academy program tagged ‘Nokia/CCHub Growth Academy’ aimed at accelerating top Nigerian mobile software companies in growing their companies on regional and international levels.

The head, ecosystem and developer experience, Nokia West Africa, Mr. Teemu Kiijarvi, disclosed at the launch in Lagos that Nigeria has a thriving and growing mobile software start-up scene with a lot of potential for growth, saying that the company objective with the Growth Academy was to support local talent in developing their skills and also to grow their companies.

“Our aim is to integrate them into both regional and global markets and ensure future funding for growing their companies,” he said.

He observed that the academy program was the first of its kind business accelerator programme in Africa dedicated to providing intensive continuous hands-on support to help approximately 30 early stage mobile technology start-ups grow into high growth businesses and build world class mobile applications for the Nokia platform regionally and globally.

The first programme of the Growth Academy which started on May 10th will run till end of July 2012, featuring 10 companies, which are expected at the end of the three months to have a world class mobile app launch on the Nokia platform with full marketing support by Nokia. They will also have access to funding to scale their business through an investor presentation as the end.

He noted that the program came in three parts which include training; development and Launch of world class mobile apps for Nokia platform, saying selected participants will undergo hands-on, structured and technical training to actualize your ideas.

“ Futurice, a leading global mobile software house from Finland with expertise in mobile application development and user driven design will have several face to face sessions with the participants in Nigeria and also provide constant online support and mentoring to the participants during the Growth Academy,” he said.

Speaking on the initiative, the Director, Pre-Incubation and Research, Co-Creation Hub, Mr Adetunji Eleso described it as a novel accelerator programme in Nigeria which will build the capacity of Nigerian technology start-ups to create world class applications that meet the real needs of Nigerian consumers.

He stated that participants on the program would have the opportunity to undergo hands-on and structured training with modules such as technology training and mentoring, business model development, implementation plan and lean product development which would build them to match up with local and global standards.

By the end of June 2012, Nokia and CCHUB would start looking for the next intake of companies to the Growth Academy.