The Future Project, in partnership with Microsoft, has announced the Demo Day for Accelerate LABS participants scheduled to take place in Lagos on Saturday, 3 February, 2018. 

 Launched last August, the nationwide entrepreneurship initiative is intended to support and equip 2,160 Nigerian youths with technology-driven status required to build socially-responsible enterprises. 

 With over 3,000 participants registered under the first stream, young entrepreneurs who passed through the screenings under the initiative will be provided the opportunity to exhibit their products for purchase and also pitch ideas for possible investment at the event. 

 Speaking during the announcement, Bukonla Adebakin, the Project Lead, The Future Project emphasized the importance of the Demo Day, stating that it was a culmination of the training, investment, and efforts of participants, partners, and mentors under the Accelerate LABS program. 

 “Trainings were held across the six Geo-political zones of the country, with over 2,000 participants going through months of intensive training modules. Due to the assessment and positive feedback from classes on pitch presentation, funding proposals, client relations, and others, we are certain that these trainees will impress investors and set precedence for future participants,” she stated. 

 “With our YouthSpark initiative, Microsoft is providing a platform to empower young entrepreneurs, especially by encouraging them to build sustainable, profitable, and socially-inclined businesses. By connecting them to better opportunities, there will be knowledge expansion, collaborations, and most importantly, investment,” said Olusola Amusan, Citizenship Lead, Microsoft Nigeria. 

Registrations into the second stream of Accelerate LABS has also been announced, with more training to be made accessible to prospective candidates across the country this year.