The Anambra State Government has disbursed N80 million to 80 startups as part of efforts to position the state as a leading technology and innovation hub in Nigeria.
Okoli is also the Special Adviser to the Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, on Innovation and Business Incubation.
She quoted Gov. Soludo to have said that the investment was part of his administration’s commitment to transforming Anambra into Africa’s Silicon Valley and creating opportunities for young people in the digital economy.
He said: “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.”
The governor said initiatives by the SID such as the One Million Anambra Digital Tribe programme and Anambra Startup Incubation Programme were designed to prepare young people for emerging opportunities in the global technology ecosystem.
Soludo congratulated the startup founders and graduates of the various training programmes, urging them to leverage their newly acquired skills and resources to build sustainable enterprises and create jobs.
Also speaking, Okoli said each of the 80 startups that successfully completed SID’s 12-week incubation programme received N1 million, bringing the total investment to N80 million.
She said the beneficiaries underwent rigorous training in business development, market validation, customer discovery, financial planning and investor readiness before qualifying for the funding.
The SID CEO noted that the state’s startup ecosystem had continued to expand, with more than 111 startups benefiting from various incubation and acceleration programmes under SID.
Okoli explained that the latest funding exercise represented one of the largest state-backed startup investment initiatives undertaken in a single day in Nigeria.
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She added that the state had already reached 264,000 beneficiaries under its One Million Anambra Digital Tribe initiative, which sought to equip one million residents with digital skills by 2030.
Beyond startup funding, Okoli said the ceremony also featured the graduation of 400 technology professionals trained in robotics and network engineering designed to prepare young people for opportunities in the global digital economy.
According to her, 300 participants completed a robotics training programme delivered in partnership with Circum Technologies.
She said that the graduates were trained across eight cohorts in embedded systems, automation, sensor programming and other emerging technologies associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“In addition, 100 participants completed the ISP Network Engineering Programme organized in collaboration with Connekt Broadband.
“The three-month programme equipped participants with practical skills in broadband infrastructure deployment, fiber optic installation, wireless networking and internet service operations.
“These graduates will play a crucial role in supporting the state’s ongoing 2,000-kilometre fiber-optic rollout project, particularly in extending connectivity to underserved communities,” she said.
She said Digital Tribe champions were also recognized at the ceremony and presented with brand-new laptops in appreciation of their volunteer contributions to the programme.
Okoli said the event demonstrated the state’s innovation model, which brought together government, academia and the private sector to drive economic transformation.
She also revealed that the former Government House premises currently housing SID were being transformed into a permanent technology campus, with new facilities expected to be commissioned soon.
According to her, Connect Broadband has secured a space within the planned campus and intends to establish a Business Process Outsourcing center that will create additional employment opportunities for technology graduates.
The Chief Executive Officer of Connect Broadband, Mr. Ifeanyi Adirika, announced a N1 billion Connectivity Fund aimed at accelerating broadband access across Anambra’s 21 local government areas.
He said the initiative would support internet connectivity in schools, hospitals, markets and public institutions while creating business opportunities for graduates of the ISP engineering programme.
He noted that some of the newly trained engineers would serve as deployment partners and sub-licensees in the company’s broadband expansion plans.
NAN
