Enugu State has ranked fifth in Nigeria, eighth in West Africa and 714th globally in the 2026 StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Index, following a 16-place improvement and an annual growth rate of 35.5 per cent.
The Special Adviser to Governor Peter Mbah on MSME and Digital Economy and Managing Director of the Enugu SME Centre, Arinze Chilo-Offiah, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, November 2, 2026, while highlighting the state’s growing investments in technology, innovation and digital enterprise.
Chilo-Offiah said the Enugu MSME and Startup Agency sponsored the Southeast Blockchain and Games Week 2026, which brought together developers, startup founders, creatives, investors and communities working to advance Web3, gaming and Africa’s digital economy.
He also participated in a panel session titled “Telling the Story: Media, Creatives, Community and Getting Africa’s Web3 and Gaming Work Seen,” where he discussed the importance of storytelling, strong communities, market access and institutional support in promoting Africa’s technology ecosystem.
According to him, the continent must go beyond developing innovative technologies to ensuring that its solutions, talents and success stories receive visibility and recognition in the global market.
“Africa must not only build world-class technology; we must also position our solutions, talent and success stories for global visibility,” Chilo-Offiah stated.
He explained that the agency’s sponsorship of the event was consistent with Governor Mbah’s vision of positioning Enugu as a leading destination for technology, enterprise and investment.
He listed the initiatives driving the vision to include the development of the 1.7-hectare Enugu Tech and Innovation Park, designed to support more than 1,000 startups annually; Enugu Talent City, which is focused on business and knowledge-process outsourcing; the Enugu AI Institute; the Digital Industrial Park; Digital Skills Enhancement Zones; startup-incubation programmes; and digital-skills training.
Chilo-Offiah said the investments were aimed at strengthening the state’s innovation ecosystem, expanding access to technology-enabled employment and creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and young people.
He described the improved StartupBlink ranking as an indication of the progress being made in developing Enugu’s digital economy.
The special adviser said events such as the Southeast Blockchain and Games Week offered more than networking opportunities, serving as platforms for discovering talent, connecting innovators to opportunities, showcasing home-grown solutions and building partnerships capable of transforming ideas into scalable businesses.
“For us, events such as SEBGW are more than conferences. They are platforms for discovering talent, connecting innovators to opportunity, showcasing home-grown solutions and building the partnerships required to transform ideas into scalable enterprises,” he said.
Reaffirming the state government’s ambition, Chilo-Offiah declared that Enugu was building the talent, infrastructure and institutions needed to compete in the global digital economy and emerge as a leading innovation destination in Africa.
“Enugu will not merely participate in the global digital economy. We are building the talent, infrastructure and institutions to compete in it, and lead from Africa,” he stated.
