Rural innovation hubs: A new engine for Nigeria’s youth economy

By Christiana Lot

In Langtang Local Government Area of Plateau State, more than 200 young people including girls, teenagers and out-of-school youths are acquiring digital skills ranging from graphic design and virtual assistance to foundational artificial intelligence literacy.

For Amb. Ponfa Miri (Prince), Project Lead of the Langtang Innovation Hub, this is not charity but what he calls smart economics and a deliberate intervention against Nigeria’s widening digital divide.

A youth development advocate and IT project management consultant, Miri previously served as Special Assistant on ICT to the Executive Governor of Plateau State and as Manager of Code Plateau, where he helped drive large-scale digital training initiatives.

Today, his focus is rural digital inclusion.In this interview with Nigeria Standard, he discusses youth empowerment, artificial intelligence, unemployment and why he insists that “the future is rural.”

What inspired you to establish the Langtang Innovation Hub, and what gap were you determined to close?

In rural Plateau, I encountered brilliant young minds especially girls and out-of-school youths who were completely cut off from the digital economy. While Lagos and Abuja surged ahead, many rural areas still relied on manual systems for education, marketing and basic services.

The real gap was not just infrastructure; it was opportunity and belief.We founded the Langtang Innovation Hub because geography should not determine destiny. Our conviction is simple: the future is rural.

By equipping rural youths with the same digital competencies as their urban peers, they can leapfrog barriers and develop solutions to local challenges, from digital market access for farmers to e-commerce for rural products. The hub is our response to exclusion.

Most of Nigeria’s tech growth is concentrated in Lagos and Abuja. Why is it important to build innovation ecosystems in places like Langtang?

Concentrating tech growth in a few cities is like watering one corner of a vast farm and expecting the whole field to flourish. Millions of Nigerians live in rural communities that sustain agriculture and the informal economy. Ignoring them means leaving the majority behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Rural innovation hubs decentralise prosperity. They reduce urban migration, retain talent locally and generate income within communities.

When rural youths earn through freelancing or build agri-tech solutions, families benefit and local economies strengthen. Excellence is not urban-exclusive; it is talent combined with access.

What specific digital skills are youths learning, and how do these translate into income?

Our curriculum is practical and market-driven. Core skills include digital marketing, virtual assistance, community management and graphic design.

Training is hands-on. Graduates now manage social media campaigns for local businesses, offer freelance services such as design and administrative support on global platforms, and run online stores.

These skills convert directly into income and economic independence without migration to cities.

How many young people have you trained, and what outcomes have you recorded?

Since our pilot phase, over 200 young people aged 10 to 35 have enrolled, including significant female participation and out-of-school youths.We have recorded measurable outcomes.

Participants now earn steady freelance income, and women with no prior digital exposure operate profitable online ventures. Beyond income, there has been a community mindset shift.

Parents who once doubted technology now actively enrol their children. Awareness has evolved into aspiration.

Can you share examples of lives changed by the hub?

Sixteen-year-old Byenan joined our Rural Kids Digital Skills Programme barely able to use a computer. Today, she designs professionally and mentors younger participants. Her journey demonstrates that rural teenagers can thrive in digital spaces.

Another young woman trained as a virtual assistant and later built an online retail business serving customers in Abuja and Jos. She now employs fellow graduates.

These stories are becoming normal outcomes rather than rare exceptions.

What barriers do rural youths face in accessing the digital economy, and how are you addressing them?

The barriers are infrastructure, device affordability, limited awareness and mindset. Mindset was the quietest but most powerful obstacle. Many believed technology belonged only to urban centres.

We addressed this through sustained community sensitisation involving traditional leaders, parents and faith-based institutions.

Infrastructure gaps are mitigated with shared high-performance laptops, Starlink connectivity, solar backups and offline tools. Training remains free to ensure inclusion. Gradually, perceptions are changing. Parents now celebrate their daughters learning digital marketing and design.

As artificial intelligence reshapes industries globally, are rural youths at risk of being left behind?

They were at serious risk until intentional interventions began. At the hub, we introduce foundational AI literacy early.

Participants learn practical applications of tools like ChatGPT for research, productivity, content creation and problem-solving, alongside basic prompt engineering.

Our goal is to ensure rural youths are not passive consumers of technology but innovators who apply AI to agriculture, education and entrepreneurship within their communities.

Nigeria faces rising youth unemployment. Can rural innovation hubs be part of the solution?

Without question. One hub in Langtang has impacted over 200 lives. Imagine similar hubs across all 774 local government areas, generating distributed, location-independent opportunities for millions.

What is needed is deliberate policy support: investment in rural broadband and solar infrastructure, grants and tax incentives for innovation hubs, integration of digital skills into secondary education, recognition of hub certifications within youth programmes, and strong public-private partnerships.Rural hubs are not charity projects. They are economic infrastructure.

What challenges threaten the sustainability of the Langtang Innovation Hub?

Reliable power, consistent internet and funding for expansion remain challenges. We mitigate these with solar energy, Starlink connectivity, volunteer mentors and strong community ownership.

Scaling depends on partnerships with foundations, technology professionals and forward-thinking public officials. Each graduating cohort expands the ecosystem, mentoring the next group and multiplying impact.

If you had the attention of federal policymakers today, what would you tell them?

The most cost-effective strategy to reduce unemployment, insecurity and inequality is to equip rural youths with world-class digital skills and reliable internet access.

Every investment in rural innovation hubs yields returns through GDP growth, reduced migration and locally developed solutions. The future is not confined to Lagos or Abuja. It includes rural Nigeria.The talent already exists. What is missing are the tools.