The Anambra State Government has disbursed N80 million to 80 startups to position the state as a leading technology and innovation hub in Nigeria.
This was announced on Friday in Abuja by Chinwe Okoli, CEO of Solution Innovation District (SID) and Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Innovation and Business Incubation.
Okoli quoted Gov. Soludo, stating that the investment reflects his administration’s commitment to transforming Anambra into Africa’s Silicon Valley and creating opportunities for young people in the digital economy.
“Our administration is dedicated to turning Anambra into Africa’s Silicon Valley. This vision is driven by a strategic goal to secure our future and that of our people,” he said.
Soludo highlighted initiatives like the One Million Anambra Digital Tribe and the Startup Incubation Programme, designed to prepare youth for opportunities in the global tech ecosystem.
He congratulated the startup founders and training graduates, urging them to leverage their skills and resources to build sustainable businesses and generate jobs.
Okoli added that each of the 80 startups that completed SID’s 12-week incubation received N1 million, totaling N80 million.
Beneficiaries underwent intensive training in business development, market validation, customer discovery, financial planning, and investor readiness before receiving funding.
She noted that over 111 startups have benefited from SID’s incubation and acceleration programs, and that this disbursement is among the largest single-day state-backed startup investments in Nigeria.
The state has already reached 264,000 residents under the One Million Anambra Digital Tribe initiative, aiming to equip one million people with digital skills by 2030.
Beyond funding, the event also marked the graduation of 400 tech professionals trained in robotics and network engineering to prepare them for global digital opportunities.
Thirty hundred participants completed a robotics training in partnership with Circum Technologies, covering embedded systems, automation, sensor programming, and other Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies.
Additionally, 100 participants finished the ISP Network Engineering Programme in collaboration with Connekt Broadband, gaining skills in broadband deployment, fiber optics, wireless networking, and internet services.
These graduates are expected to support the state’s ongoing 2,000-kilometre fiber-optic rollout, especially in underserved areas.
Digital Tribe volunteers were also recognized and awarded laptops for their contributions.
Okoli highlighted that the event showcased the state’s innovative model, which unites government, academia, and the private sector to drive economic transformation.
She revealed plans to convert the current SID premises into a permanent tech campus with new facilities soon to be commissioned.
Connekt Broadband has secured space within the campus and plans to establish a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) center to generate additional jobs for tech graduates.
Ifeanyi Adirika, CEO of Connekt Broadband, announced a N1 billion Connectivity Fund to expand broadband access across Anambra’s 21 local government areas, supporting internet access in schools, hospitals, markets, and public institutions.
He mentioned that some trained engineers would serve as deployment partners and licenses in the company’s broadband expansion efforts.
