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Microsoft boosts tech in Africa, opens new $127m hubs in Lagos, Nairobi

DAYS after unveiling its $100 million facility in Lagos, multinational technology corporation, Microsoft has unveiled another new $27 million tech talent hub in Nairobi, Kenya. 

Located in Dunhill Towers in Westlands, Nairobi, the tech hub boasts self-heating windows, a mini solar plant to power the facility, and a water treatment facility to recycle and purify the water.   

The development comes three years after the global tech giant began operation in the country.

Last week, the American owned corporation launched its first Africa Development Centre (ADC) in Lagos, Nigeria.  According to the tech corporation, the new facilities would serve as a premier hub for driving engineering and innovation.

It added that as one of Africa’s largest software engineering facilities, the ccentre will help set the standard for a new generation of technology hubs.

The centres, it noted, will provide opportunities for engineering talents  and serve as an incubation hub, which is part of the ongoing efforts to scale tech innovation on the continent.

The Lagos Microsoft Garage, also boasts of self-heating windows, a mini solar plant to power the facility, and a water treatment facility to recycle and purify the water.

The facility NaijaTimes gathered was built similar to Microsoft’s global offices to optimise space utilisation, air conditioning, and lighting adjustments as part of its global ambition to be net carbon negative by 2030.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, who unveiled the Nairobi tech hub in the company of other Kenyan top government officials and dignitaries, expressed optimism that the facility will bolster the government’s push to secure high-tech jobs in the digital space for the youth. 

He said, “As a premier centre of research and development for Microsoft, we all remain confident that you – together with our young men and women – will build a local world-class talent and create innovative technological solutions that will yield global positive impacts.”

President Kenyatta added that the centre would create full-time time jobs for Kenyans in software development, programme management, technical design, content writing, operations, research and applied sciences as part of the mutually beneficial partnership between the Government and Microsoft.

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