By Chigozie Chukwuleta
A week-long tech based expo tagged Solution Innovation Week kicked off in Awka, Anambra state today.
The event which attracted tech savvy young minds, innovators and established tech professionals from across Nigeria is being hosted at the International Conference Centre, Awka.
With the theme “Creating the Future of Africa Now,” speakers at the opening ceremony of the event identified innovative strategies of solving African socioeconomic challenges
The week-long event with techbased activities promises to be a game-changer in shaping Africa’s digital future.
Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim while declaring open the event assured that his administration would not relent in creating enabling environment for innovators especially those investing in technology to thrive.
In her welcome address, the Special Adviser to governor Chukwuma Soludo on Digital Innovation and Incubation , Miss Chinwe Okoli emphasized the importance of innovation and technology in building a prosperous Africa, aligning with Governor Charles Soludo’s vision for a digitally empowered Anambra State.
She said that the five-day event is packed with exciting activities, including discussions on demystifying innovation, digital ecosystem, and emerging tech trends.
According to her the week will also feature a Career Conference tailored for students and young professionals across all 21 LGAs, complemented by a nationwide ICT quiz competition and startup hackathons.
She explained that the programme began with discussions on demystifying innovation, the digital ecosystem, and how emerging tech trends can shape our future, while Day 2 brings a Career Conference tailored for students and young professionals across all 21 LGAs, complemented by a nationwide ICT quiz competition and startup hackathons.
“On Day 3, our focus shifts to the Digital Transformation Conference for SMEs and Government, where discussions will center on governance efficiency and leveraging AI for impactful service delivery”,
“Day 4 will feature the Startup Conference and Tradenovation Fair, where we celebrate creativity and enterprise with exhibitions, panels, and startup pitching competitions”,
“Finally, we culminate on Day 5, the Grand Summit, with exhibitions, high-level ministerial panels, and the official launch of transformative initiatives such as the One Million Anambra Digital Tribe and the Anambra Angel Network. This lineup is designed not only to inspire but also to empower participants with actionable insights and opportunities to innovate, network, and thrive,” she said
Speaking at the occasion, the Chief Executive Officer, PalmNet Consult Limited, Mr Daniel Chinagozi, argued that most aspects of African cultural heritage such as food, drinks, communal life and others could go a long way in sharpening the future of the world if experts could unite and found innovative ways of harnessing them using emerging technology strategies.
“You can identify a problem you want to solve, brainstorm on your own and ask people about it too. Come out with a prototype. We can devise a better strategy for transferring our culture, food, drinks to the world. We need ideas. We need strategies to solve various African problems,” he added.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, Anambra State Information and Technology (ICT) Agency, Mr Chukwuemeka Agbata emphasised that innovation entails collaboration and willingness to succeed by learning and applying new strategies in solving problems.
Agbata, who believed that everyone could use technology if willing, urged Anambra populace irrespective of academic background to explore the opportunities inherent in acquiring skills around Technology.
Also speaking, an Information Technologist, Mr Emmanuel Essiet, urged Nigerians to embrace emerging technological tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI) by building knowledge around them and using them to create a great future.
Another speaker, Mr Chukwuemeka Afigbo, argued that AI, Deep tech and others have come to make life easier, while attempting to connect the physical world to the digital world through creation of a more efficient, convenient and intelligent environment.
