Panel session I: The rise of builder hubs in Nigeria, lessons & opportunity

Transcript

Thank you very much. Um, let me start by this. Uh, let me start with, uh, Kevin. >> Okay. Um, Kevin, at least I know you for more than a year now. And yeah, an amazing thing you're doing in the eastern part of Nigeria. Thank you for that. Let's clap for Kevin for that. Okay. So, uh first question going to you Kevin. Um this question is just a freestyle question. So, um uh what drove you to believe that starting a block, uh Builder's Hope now is the right time.

>> Okay. GM GM everybody. The GM is not GM, you know. GM GM everybody. Awesome. Um very nice to be at Web Tree Lagos again. This is my third year at this event. Been here since the beginning actually. Uh my name is Kevin Chibiim, popularly known as Moore Blockchain. Um the co-founder of Blockchain UNN which is Blockchain University of Nigeria, a blockchain club at University of Nigeria. I'm equally the founder and CEO of GA which is an editor academy and then I lead it Enugu.

I mean have you have seen it online? Awesome. So, uh, it is a community um, I started a while back main to showcase um, a lot about Ethereum within the southeastern part of Nigeria. We recently hosted the first Ethereum conference in Nigeria. Please claim and a Buddha residency and Popo City. So to your question, I think um this drive to do this actually started um sometime last year. So the first person that has done anything like a builder hub I want to give shout out to

is IO um of web three bridge. Please guys clap for IO. So IOG actually started this whole builder hub concept from way back. I knew I from 20 I started GA in 2020 and then blockchain in 2021. So while in 2021 we were trying to figure out our way as a blockchain club. I then came across IO and what he was doing as web bridge and at the time that was when he started his facility. I think they were in their third cohort or something like that. So he's been doing it since way back and then I was able to visit the facility in 2022 and was inspired by what he was doing. But the climax of all

of this was last year when I went to Ghana um for Muakra. So Muakra was organized by the MO and the Ay guys. So actually has a builder hub where they set up and visiting that space at the time I was like okay this actually mirrors exactly what I feel is needed for proper um builders to actually go far right so when I came back to Nigeria I made a tweet actually then still on Twitter I'm going to reference it when I complete the hub I'm building um Ayat was having that and it actually inspired me better uh in addition to what Web Tree bridge had. Then a friend

of mine uh or friends of mine rather that passed through webbridge actually um scarface and um what's his name? lungs de long lungs they started something in just got a plaza rented it I mean he also told me that you don't need to have or buy or build the entire facility you can literally start from anywhere so what blocks labs did in just was super inspiring and that was what told me that okay this is very needed and the climax of it all was earlier this year when I've been hearing about what my brother here Dave was doing in Kadun I booked my flight I I want to go to and see what's happening in the north. I went to Cano from Cano and I

went to Kaduna. After seeing the facility that Dave has, I said, "Okay, that's that's the end of it. I'm going to put in every single money I have to make sure that we have a facility like this in the southeastern part of Nigeria. So I just came back from Ethiopia at the time because I intended the builder residency and pop-up city in Ethiopia and then I mean I didn't wait I know didn't wait he was using personal money so immediately what I did I did quotation of what I think we need that help should have which is 247 power and um electricity 247 power electricity and internet I mean to say and then have a very conducive place we

are in this environment and we like it true of course the AC is chilling, the chairs are nice, you have a screen you are looking at. All of these things cost a lot of money. So I then did a quotation of what I think this should cost, how much did I have, which was not enough, but I got broke. So what I decided to do was do the quotation. My solar setup alone for the space is like 20 million. I then decided started pulling out money from my personal savings. Right now we've currently made down payment for everything that has to do with the solar setup for the space. We rented a facility that is as big as this actually times two of this. So the facility we are setting up in Enugu called the blockhive. It's going to be like the first IRL or fiscal facility where

people can learn about blockchain web 3. And we are doing this not just as a training center. We're doing this to be self sustaining. So it has a event center like this that will be 100 capacity one. We probably have like a co-working space we're adding to it because I visited cafe 1 and some other places that were really nice and I felt mean this is something we actually need because people sometimes want to work outside of their environment. They're not coming to learn, they're coming to work. So the space also has a co-working facility that can take 50 uh between 70 to 100 people as well separate from the event center. And then we equally thought about it that founders need to be spotlighted. So we are putting a studio there. by fully funding the establishment of a studio where web 3

contents can be created. And then finally, like I said, the whole inspiration behind all of these builder hubs I've been seeing started from IO. And what I is doing um is different. People live in the web tree bridge facility, right? You don't just come and go like some of these other hubs do. So I decided that after I had gotten the space and everything I needed, I decided to take it a step further. So I rented a penthouse as well, a full penthouse and we are setting up a facility that can take around 35 people living there.

Literally are going to be living there when they come for programs and stuff like that. So you're going to have bunk beds, all of those stuff separate from from this. So all of these so far have been selffunded, right? Everything has been coming from my pocket. That's why I'm broke. >> Wow. >> Like that's the motivation. So I feel it's needed but all of these drew inspirations from what other people have been doing and I decided to say I I said rather that if I don't do it nobody will do it. That's my that's my mindset towards everything even any good that I did.

>> I was always saying if I don't do it nobody will do it. Please can you say that with me? If I don't do it nobody will do it. >> So always take the initiative. So yes this is my answer to your question. >> Thank you. Thank you. Wow. This is massive. Okay. Um, give him uh but let me go with dev. Okay. Dev, why do you choose Kaduna? >> All right. Um, GM everybody. Uh, um, I'm Dave and, um, I'm a teacher. I love teaching. And I'm very passionate about um expressing myself in a way that

conveys what I know to people that care to listen. And um that was what motivated us to start up Blockhead Web 3 um an initiative to equip developers with the requisite training especially in the northern region. I think then there was nothing like that. Also looking at what we had um back then I think um IO was doing an amazing job. We three bridge kudos to him. Shout out to IO of web three bridge. Um there was nothing of such in the northern region right. So um it was and then just to give you a backstory um I served in Zanfara and um instead of after service instead of going back I was like okay this is cool um I love tech um I know about web 3 and um I started my journey

in the space and um I was like how about um do something similar here in the northern region and um collab was kind of like um a very supportive community back then. um people um it was a a hub for developers to just come around hack build a lot of solutions and all of that but there was something missing something I was passionate about which was web 3 right that was how it started I think it started as a result of me coming around and um just talking about web 3 and I felt I was just repeating myself a lot of questions then were just oh what is web three how do we start I was writing smart contract then um this was um 20 I think yeah 2021 So yeah, so repeating myself was kind of like um not making

sense. It was not scalable sessions. We will have those sessions where I would just be um um guiding um developers who were interested in all of these how to connect their smart contract to their front end and that was very interesting because in all of these sessions we had a white marker board and that was what really motivated the whole idea. Then we started our first meet up and um that was it. It exploded from there. A lot of persons were interested. We had our first cohort from then and um it's been an amazing journey seeing a lot of guys knowing nothing go from zero to mastery and then they fing so well in this space and then they are also not just um doing so well in this space they also lighting other candles and that was why

um we um kind of um extended and our tentacles to build to have our own space a dedicated space called the bud which we launched um early this year. Um the build is um a breeding ground for developers to come hack build network especially for open source because I'm a very big fan of open source because after all of your learning after all of your trainings what's next so you contribute to open source projects understand how to build for scale then if you have any innovative idea um you um apply for grants and that has helped a number of persons go from zero to um um where they are currently because one of one of the things that keeps me motivated is the fact that I see these guys come from nothing and um the effort of

continuity in the ecosystem seeing them grow is one of the things that I'm very very passionate about and we are not stopping and we keep doing that. Yeah. So for Kaduna Kaduna is in the northern region for those of us who really don't know and um it's a very bing ecosystem and um libido is doing amazing to equip developers with resources and help to grow in the ecosystem. So yeah thank you. Wow, that was an amazing um story behind everything. Okay. Um Santiago. Wow.

Some of you here have not even gone to the east. Some of you have never even gone to Abuja, but this guy here has visited almost all the hope we have here in Nigeria. Okay. So Santiago just tell us a little about yourself and the experience so far based on your visit to all this hope. I know you've been to Inogu, Kaduna and just now you are here you've been to Lagos Lagos just like a home. So um what is your experience?

>> Okay Jim everyone. So yeah, I'm Santiago currently working for Lisk as a global developer advocate and also for LATAM lead. Uh yeah, in the past two weeks I have been in Anugo builder residency. I was able to spend there one one week. Uh after that I went to Abuja then I went to Kaduna and after Kaduna I took a car to go to Jos. I wouldn't recommend to take that road from Kaduna to Jos. So one of my main feedback um my experience in all these different hubs was amazing because this is a place that is gathering everyone in the town or in the city and when you are in environment that is also working

towards something that they are ambitious that they are learning web three is something that inspire you and makes you want to work as well so it's like a competitive but healthy environment to to work and to learn. So being there I also wanted to work. So that's why when I went to Jos I spent some some time working in in block blockfuse labs. Um I love being in Kaduna. The community in Kaduna was was amazing. It was great in Enugu for the builder residency and and the conference it was it was packed as well. So so yeah my experience is these hubs are working in Nigeria for example. I don't I don't feel that this model will work in Colombia. I don't think people will go every day and stay there and and co- live there as well. But that's something

that is really working in Nigeria and you can see the progress in Wetry Bridge in Jos in Kaduna in Abuja and hopefully next time I'm able to to visit u poor hardcore calavar and taraba as well. So so yeah thank you. >> Wow. So uh this is Santiago. He just came in and he has traveled all over Nigeria. Some of us here have spent over how many years but we've not traveled. So uh traveling is part of like an experience.

So try to visit. So um okay. >> So I just want to saying something to what this you just said. I think you should travel a lot within your country. First of all, if you have not, you should okay let me let me let me tell you an honest truth. Um before It Enuggu the last drive I had was one week to Eeneu. So as at that time I had been to 22 states in Nigeria. I have done 22 states in Nigeria and most of these travels was mainly to just go and attend web three events or speak at web three events or anything like that. But traveling to these places exposed me to

what is really happening in the country. You might be in Lagos and think um what you have is the climax or you might be in u you might be in Eug. But if you don't go to other places, you wouldn't know what you have is not the um end of it all or you wouldn't know what amazing things are happening in other places. There were some misconceptions I had about Kaduna and Cano. In fact, when I sent in my family group pictures that I was at the airport, where are you going to? I boarded. I'm going to Cano. My mother They you know it was a lot of I said don't worry they won't kill me and they didn't kill me I'm my life but like a lot of things I used to think

that kind of was or Kaduna was or Jos was were not what it turned out to be so you should travel plan to attend events whatever should take you be like Santiago this guy literally he has been everywhere and it's actually a good experience so travel use the road don't mind the road he's talking about our roads are Good. So travel yeah it exposes you. >> Yeah. So sorry I forgot to mention that he has been in Abuja also. So in case if you don't know some of you have not been to Abuja. If you know you have not been to Abuja say ah [Laughter] okay let's continue. So uh this question uh we are going to be snap.

Um I will ask one question and Dave and um Kevin will respond. So uh I'm sure you guys might have encountered a lot of challenges and how did you overcome those challenges? context. >> Okay. In context to um so far you are running a like a build um right block where you're bringing in developers will do everything and you just concluded it in augo right and you are um carrying out a massive project

right so um are there times that challenges arise you look back and say wait I don't think I'll continue >> just yeah one minute okay um let me just start since you spoke to me last um truly to be honest one thing I usually feel in anything I do is if I set my mind to do it I do it right regardless of whatever challenges that come with it the web3 ecosystem in the eastern part of Nigeria was not always the way it was, right? We started a lot of ground work with blockchain

unnuka um when I was a student in 2019 started doing all of these activities and that's once that bettered a lot of blockchain clubs in the southeastern part of Nigeria now and a lot of events keep happening so I think there are a lot of challenges money is one of them people paying attention to what you are doing is one of them right you have to actually somebody has to trust you enough to want to come to your place or come and visit it or see what you are doing. So one thing I spent a lot of time doing is building social capital. All right, there's no way you call is more blockchain. Now that's I'm not popular but to an extent somebody might have heard about me. All right, so building

social capital is one thing I think that has helped me overcome the challenge of um you know getting people to trust you. Another thing is be visible. There's a key phrase I like using on X. is actually on my bio. Build in public, please. Please, can we say build in public? >> It's not loud. Tell your neighbor. Build in public. >> Build in public. >> Yeah. Building in public is something that has helped me a whole lot. Tell my story. Like like people say, if you don't tell your story, people will tell it for you and they won't tell it the way you want. So building the public is something that has helped me. Financial challenges are there, but that's why I work. So for me I see the community as

sort of my public good or charity >> where I I throw money into. So yeah. >> All right. Thank you very much. >> So yeah. So for me um you know back then one of the things that I noticed was the fact that um a lot of malicious elements will gather people especially in um churches and um kind of like people just come around and say you know what we have um this money-m venture um commit your funds and um after a while you will get like um five pairs 10 profits right that was kind of like um the conventional thing back then because I I know a number of persons that were scammed they some these guys in suits actually they will come package themselves and then part with people

having money. So that was one of the challenges right. So whenever you see um people like who are intentional trying to train people have bad experiences they like ah are you sure you're not going to take my money is crypto because at the end of the day you're mentioning blockchain and this is kind of like a buzz word this malicious actors use. So this was a challenge right. So we kind of like made it very clear we are very very intentional about the technical concept about the under underlying technology in this case the blockchain not crypto right. And um that was what helped us to navigate that huddle of trust. And um again you are doing something in an environment that um a lot of people have been burnt and um people are looking how

at how you will um scale through the challenge of impacting these people positively right and one one of the things we did was to maintain that um vigor of technicality. So there were no um um um like the whole speculation trading um talks and all of that. We maintained focus in the technical concept which is um smart contract development um and all of the things that um protocol engineering has to offer. So that was what really helped us to navigate and um after a while people started seeing the pro benefits because some of the guys that participated in the cohorts started doing so well. They had credible stories. they were contributing to open source projects and some of them got grants and that was how it was um I think from um cohort one,

cohort two, cohort three, cohort four and a lot of partnerships and all of that that's kind of like um helped us to um break through those um challenges and um everybody believes what we're doing and right now is um um a very credible name when you're talking about smart contract development in the in the northern region and that was how we scaled through. Yeah, consistency and the end of the day. Thank you. >> Yeah, thank you very much. Um, all right. So, Santiago, okay. Um, my question to you is I know you had a lot of uh conversation with developers in different places uh during um your visit to these places.

What is that one thing that you think people sitting down here need to hear that whenever they remember it, they will know that yes, I remember Santiago having discuss about that. >> Okay. So one thing that I think everyone should be aware is stop chasing grants to not use them to reinvest in the product on your own skills because what I hear this is not something that I'm creating. I have heard this from my past two weeks of speaking to more than 100 people in Nigeria that people get 5k 10k grand and then they just go and buy a new car.

Right? So so I feel that that's okay, right? But the the the issue with that is that maybe you do it once and there will be no the next time. So if there is no next time maybe there is no opportunity for the next one, right? And then you are just taking not opportunities. You're blocking and closing the door to you in the future but also for the other people. So the second thing that I will add to that is to what I mentioned yesterday in the presentation to have an IO mindset an IO mindset. So that IGI mindset is to think collectively as how we can improve the continent instead of thinking from the scarcity mindset of oh if if that guy take that job there's no opportunities for me anymore because I feel that we are still really early in this in the

space so there's opportunities still for for everyone so so yeah have the IO mindset to think collectively as a continent and not just chasing the grants >> okay thank you the last question to Santiago is um I know many people didn't people are listening to your talk yesterday. Can you just in one sentence tell them so that they will not miss the talk? It's better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.

That's what I always mention. Did you hear that? Did you hear that? Okay. is better to prepare for an opportunity and not to have it than to have it and you're not ready. That's a big slap. And please let's prepare for those opportunity coming our way. Thank you very much. Thank you Santiago. >> Thank you. >> Thank you D. Thank you Eseno. And we love to have more of people like IO Deno in all part of Nigeria.

Who is going to the north west? Okay. Northwest, northeast. >> Okay. Okay. Thank you very much. Um, yes. >> Thank you everyone.