The Enugu State Government has reaffirmed its dedication to nurturing young tech talents and fostering innovations aimed at tackling social, economic, and security challenges. This commitment was highlighted during the GTEX Nigeria 2025 Roadshow held in Enugu.
The event featured the Southeast Tech Innovation Group pitching competition, where start-ups from across the five southeastern states presented tech-driven solutions to both regional and national problems.
Speaking about the event, the Special Adviser to the Enugu State Governor on Digital Economy and SME, Arinze Chilo-Offiah, said:
“This was one of the roadshows for the Southeast, in preparation for the GITEX programme happening on September 3rd and 4th. The goal of the July 15th event was to identify 15 to 20 start-ups to represent the Southeast at the national programme in Lagos.
“The GITEX programme is a national accelerator that helps identify key start-ups that will drive innovation across Nigeria, not just in the Southeast. We had participants from all five southeastern states who gathered at the ICC Centre in Enugu. About 15 start-ups were selected to represent the region at the GITEX Supernova event,” he explained.
Chilo-Offiah emphasized that the initiative is in line with Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s vision of driving innovation and talent development across the state.
“We are committed to identifying these key talents and providing them with the right resources and incubation support to help them grow. For instance, we have the Knock in concept, a prominent innovation hub in Rwanda, and we’re partnering to set up a similar hub here in Enugu. Construction has already started, and it’s going to be a world-class facility housing tech talents across Sub-Saharan Africa. It should be ready by Q4 this year,” he noted.
He further revealed that Enugu State is also collaborating with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to leverage assets such as the DBID and the Digital Industrial Park. In addition, the state is launching an innovative initiative known as the Enugu Campus Hackathon.
“We’re launching an innovative hackathon programme called the Enugu Campus Hackathon, where we’ll identify talents from key tertiary institutions in the state and provide them with funding,” Chilo-Offiah said.
Highlighting the importance of such programmes, he added:
“These kinds of accelerators are key to helping identify talents across the Southeast—whether in hardware tech, AI, or agri-tech. Enugu, for example, has a 68% youth population and one of the highest concentrations of tertiary institutions in Nigeria. There’s a lot of talent here with remarkable ideas, and what they need is our support.”
He concluded by stressing the broader goal of the GTEX initiative:
“Through the GITEX programme, we’re providing access to funding, grants, and incubation support over the coming months. This is part of what Enugu State is working on tirelessly.”
The roadshow served as a major step in advancing Enugu’s ambition to become a regional tech powerhouse and a hub for innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa.
