Anambra State has taken another significant step in its ambition to become a leading centre for innovation and technology, unveiling an N80 million startup fund, graduating 400 technology professionals and attracting fresh investment in broadband infrastructure.
The initiatives were announced at the Anambra Startup Investment and Technology Skills Graduation Ceremony held at the Banquet Hall of the Light House in Awka.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo said the state's vision is to transform Anambra into “Africa’s Silicon Valley” by equipping young people with the skills, opportunities and resources needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving digital economy.
“Our administration is committed to transforming Anambra into Africa’s Silicon Valley. This vision is driven not by politics but by a clear and strategic imperative to secure the future of our state and its people,” he said.
According to the governor, programmes such as the 1 Million Anambra Digital Tribe initiative and the Anambra Startup Incubation Programme were designed to prepare residents for emerging opportunities in technology and innovation. He urged beneficiaries to channel their knowledge and support into building sustainable enterprises capable of creating jobs and driving economic growth.
As part of the effort, the Solution Innovation District disbursed N80 million to 80 startups that completed a 12-week incubation programme, with each business receiving N1 million.
Chief Executive Officer of the Solution Innovation District and Special Adviser to the Governor on Innovation and Business Incubation, Chinwe Okoli, said the beneficiaries received training in business development, customer discovery, market validation, financial planning and investor readiness before accessing the grants.
She described the exercise as one of the largest state-backed startup funding programmes conducted in a single day in Nigeria.
Okoli disclosed that more than 111 startups have benefited from the district's incubation and acceleration programmes. She added that the 1 Million Anambra Digital Tribe initiative has already reached 264,000 beneficiaries and remains on course to train one million residents by 2030.
The ceremony also celebrated the graduation of 400 technology professionals, including 300 trained in robotics and embedded systems and 100 who completed a network engineering programme.
According to Okoli, the robotics training, delivered across eight cohorts, covered embedded systems, automation, sensor programming and other Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies.
The network engineering programme, organised in partnership with Connekt Broadband, equipped participants with practical skills in fibre optic installation, broadband deployment, wireless networking and internet service operations.
In a related development, Connekt Broadband Chief Executive Officer, Ifeanyi Adirika, announced a N1 billion Connectivity Fund to expand broadband access across Anambra's 21 local government areas.
He said the initiative would improve internet connectivity in schools, hospitals, markets and other public institutions while creating employment opportunities for graduates of the network engineering programme. Some of the newly trained engineers, he added, will serve as deployment partners and sub-licensees as the company expands its infrastructure footprint across the state.
The graduates are also expected to support the state's ongoing 2,000-kilometre fibre optic rollout, helping extend connectivity to underserved communities.
Okoli further revealed that the former Government House, now home to the Solution Innovation District, is being transformed into a permanent technology campus, with new facilities expected to be commissioned soon.
She added that Connekt Broadband has secured space within the proposed campus and plans to establish a business process outsourcing centre that will create additional employment opportunities for technology graduates.
Together, the investments in entrepreneurship, digital skills and connectivity underscore Anambra's growing commitment to building a knowledge-driven economy and strengthening its position within Nigeria's expanding technology landscape.
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