The Blockhive team and MTN have partnered to provide at least 5,000 free internet routers to support techies, students, remote workers, entrepreneurs and digital creators in the South-East, with the aim of accelerating tech innovation.
The Block Hive is a co-working and tech hub in Nsukka, Enugu State, established by Ginakev Labs.
Speaking during a meeting with MTN officials on Wednesday in Enugu, the founder of Ginakev Labs, Kevin Okoye, said the initiative was expected to make the router devices available to young people without the usual upfront cost of purchase.
Okoye, who is also the CEO of Ginakev Labs, said the discussion centred on the rapid growth of the technology ecosystem in the South-East and the need for greater private-sector support for young people building with technology.
“GIDA, the education and skills-development arm of Ginakev Labs, has since 2020 trained over 10,000 youths in digital skills and blockchain technology, with most even getting fully-funded scholarships supported by Ginakev Foundation.
“While The Block Hive provides a physical environment where developers, entrepreneurs, students, creators and remote workers can learn, work and collaborate,” Okoye said.
Okoye also spoke about some of the practical challenges young people face when trying to participate in the digital economy, particularly access to reliable electricity, workspace and internet infrastructure.
“The Block Hive was created in part to address these challenges by providing reliable power, internet connectivity, co-working facilities, training, events and co-living apartment infrastructure to the technology community,” he said.
He added that the initiative would leverage The Block Hive’s existing tech community and Ginakev Labs’ network to reach young people across different locations in the South-East.
“The router access will be facilitated through The Block Hive and selected tech community activities such as the upcoming South-East Blockchain & Games Week 2026, which is being co-convened by me between Sept. 16 and Sept. 19.
“The South-East Blockchain and Games Week is a further advancement on the Ethereum Enugu Hub (ETH Enugu 2025) Conference organised by me in 2025, putting Enugu and the entire South-East in the spotlight as the first Ethereum Conference in Nigeria,” he said.
Okoye appreciated MTN’s willingness to support the South-East Blockchain & Games Week 2026 and the free router initiative, noting that it would significantly benefit techies and prospective tech-innovative youths.
“If someone has a laptop, has the skills and has the ambition to work, the last thing we want is for the cost of getting a router to become the reason they cannot participate.
“Just like I advocated while speaking on a panel session at the Enugu Tech Festival 2.0 (ETF 2026) on Web-3 Day, this kind of support can make a real difference,” he said.
Responding, Callima Inino, South-East Regional Representative of MTN, expressed the company’s willingness to support initiatives that create opportunities for youths and strengthen the technology ecosystem in the region.
Inino said MTN would make selected router devices available to young people through an empowerment-focused approach, at no cost to the customers.
According to him, each router — from 4G to 5G — costs up to N60,000, but would be given free, while beneficiaries would only be required to subscribe to the applicable MTN data plan attached to their selected router packages.
“MTN representatives and agents will be present at the South-East Blockchain & Games Week 2026 event across all the build stations the event is setting up in all states of the South-East.
“We will be providing information about the available router options and facilitating access to eligible offers as well,” he said.
