Earlier this month, I was invited to deliver a talk themed; "The Last Mover Advantage: A Case for Technology And Innovation" at Union Bank's Centenary Celebration Event, titled: “The Next 100 Years – A Call to Action” which held on 25th October, 2017. Unfortunately I fell ill, was hospitalized and was unable to deliver this very important message. But here you have it.

2. My name is
Kola Aina
and I am a builder.

3. Not your typical
real estate developer.

4. .
.
My mansions are in the form of
people and their ideas.

5. I am focused on building
platforms.
.

6. Platforms that build community, enable sharing,
fund startups and create opportunities.

7. At Ventures Platform we are building platforms that
enable young people turn the lemons we have
been handed into lemonade.

8. In just 16 months, we have interacted with over 2,000 founders, funded
21 companies, trained over 2,500 young people, built a campus,
served thousands of cups of coffee (because coffee is fuel for the
future J) and seen our portfolio do multiples in returns.

9. And we are just getting started!

10. But our work is but a drop in a
mighty ocean.

11. Today, more than ever young Nigerians are
building the future.

12. With the combination of empathy, curiosity, technology
and capital – we are redefining the status quo

13. Uka & Ayo, a farmer and a software developer, are
using technology to crowdfund resources for small
holder farmers and helping to increase their yield - 4 fold.

14. Gossy Ukanwoke with Ben American University is going ahead
of the NUC and using technology to fill gaps left unattended to
by our failing educational system.

15. Shola & Iyin are building the future of payments in Africa
and powering over 1 billion dollars in transactions.

16. Afua is empowering women with her work at She Leads Africa, by
building a community of 100’s of thousands of young women across
47 countries, proving that what a man can do a woman can do
better.

17. Wifi.com.ng, recently raised $2.3M to connect more
people to the internet.

18. Dr. Ebi of Gerocare, scared by the loss of a most dear family
member, and his father suffering 2 strokes, is now building the
future of health care delivery in Nigeria with technology and has
already enrolled over 500 doctors.

19. In 2016 alone, African startups raised $366M
in funding to build the future.

20. Here in Nigeria, just this month, Andela
announced a 40m$ series C round.

21. Software and technology is eating
the world and in a short while you
will be left with no choice.

22. No wonder the smart money today is betting
on tech.

23. The sad reality is that most of the capital supporting our founders
is coming from foreign investors who fly in from San Francisco
with a briefcase, aided by visa’s on arrival, cut checks and fly
back out.

24. So I ask, who will own our future unicorns?

25. Or, rather if all the board seats are occupied by foreign
investors, can they really offer the local context required
to grow a unicorn in these rough streets of Lagos?
Or, rather if all the board seats are occupied by foreign
investors, can they really bring the local context required
to grow a unicorn in these rough streets of Lagos?

26. Are we building a Nigerian future or a future
owned by foreigners?

27. How do we accelerate this progress?

28. Since 2012, the top ten US banks have participated in 72
rounds totaling $3.6B to 56 fintech startups.
$3,600,000,000.00

29. Comcast, a large US cable company
has a Venture fund that is
investing heavily in startups, including Nigerian Companies.

30. The future of Africa will not be built by governments or
grants, but by entrepreneurs who leverage technology
to build and scale businesses fast,

31. …with the support of smart and patient capital.

32. Today you can answer this call.

33. Not out of some moral obligation or as a CSR play
to please the promoters of the SDG’s

34. Because, it turns out, early stage
technology investing can be a great bet!

35. I am told that early Andela investor’s
have seen over 10X in returns.

36. If you invested in IrokoTV five years ago,
you’d have made a 3,000% return today.
3,000%

37. Ladies and gentlemen,
there is a
real opportunity here.
And the time to act is now.

38. At the ground level, we need you to galvanize patient
capital to accelerate and enable rapid
experimentation by startups and young entrepreneurs.
#1

39. At the top level, you - our HNI's, corporates and institutions need to
convert your investments in real estate and oil & gas into the startups
that are part of this new economy that innovative companies led by
young Nigerians are building.
#2

40. As the last mover Nigeria has a unique advantage to “only
make new mistakes,” be agile, harness the benefit of our
youth and leverage ingenuity to leapfrog into the future.

41. I invite you to put your capital to good use.

42. After all, we must build greatness in others,
only then can we see what true greatness is.

43. Join us as we build the future!

44. Thank you for
your time