Anambra State has unfolded an ambitious plan to become Africa’s Silicon Valley by becoming a hub for technology and entrepreneurship at the Anambra Innovation Week 2004.
The maiden edition of the Anambra Innovation Week 2004, held at the International Conference Centre in Awka, is part of Governor Chales Soludo’s vision to transform Anambra into Silicon Valley of Africa, which will in turn benefit people of Anambra at home and abroad, according to the state government.
Speaking at the flag off event, Dr. Onyeka Chukwu Ibezim, Anambra State Deputy Governor, who represented Governor Soludo, says the Anambra Innovation Week is designed to celebrate innovation, foster collaborations, and drive the state’s transition into a technology-based economy.
The administration, Ibezim says, has been able to train 25,000 youths and provided them with skills, mentorship and grants in their entrepreneurship journey. This can be found in the mantra “everything technology and technology everywhere,” he adds, highlighting the government’s commitment to digitally-empowering the state.
In a welcome address, Chinwe Okoli, Special Adviser to the Governor on Innovation and Business Incubation, says that the Innovation Week is designed to celebrate innovation in the state and foster collaborations that will change the course of the digital future of Anambra and Africa at large.
“The concept of Solution Innovation District,” she says, “was birthed in the year 2022 and established to become a cornerstone for brewing new innovators especially in Anambra State, a beacon for innovation, nurturing start-ups, empowering young talents, building the Anambra digital tribe and driving the state transition into a technology based economy.”
She explains that the theme, “Creating the Future of Africa, Now,” is a clarion call to leverage an informative part of technology and innovation in building an Africa that thrive in digital economy.
The programme will also feature as part of its highlights, the ‘Battle4Solution’, an innovative competition with the prize pool of over ₦100,000,000 naira, according to the state government.
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