Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has injected N80 million into 80 startups as part of a broader strategy to position the state as a leading technology and innovation hub in Nigeria.

The disbursement was announced at the Anambra Startup Investment and Technology Skills Graduation Ceremony held at the Banquet Hall of the Light House, Awka, where the state government also graduated 400 technology professionals trained in robotics and network engineering.

The event, organised by the Solution Innovation District (SID), highlighted the Soludo administration’s efforts to build a technology-driven economy through investments in digital skills, entrepreneurship and broadband infrastructure.

The ceremony attracted government officials, lawmakers, university representatives, technology firms, investors and members of the state’s innovation ecosystem, many of whom described the initiative as a significant step towards making Anambra a leading destination for technology and entrepreneurship in Nigeria.

The event underscored Anambra’s push to build a technology-driven economy through a combination of startup financing, digital skills development and broadband infrastructure expansion, key pillars of the Soludo administration’s vision of transforming the state into Africa’s Silicon Valley.

The startup funding programme forms part of Solution Innovation District (SID) efforts to nurture innovation-driven businesses capable of contributing to economic growth and attracting investment to the state.

SID disclosed that each of the 80 startups that completed the district’s 12-week incubation programme received N1 million each, amounting to a total disbursement of ₦80 million.

Speaking at the event, Governor Soludo said 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 State 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 1 Million Anambra Digital Tribe programme and Anambra Startup Incubation Program are designed to prepare young people for emerging opportunities in the global technology ecosystem.

He 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.

In her remarks, Chief Executive Officer of SID and Special Adviser to the Governor on Innovation and Business Incubation, Chinwe Okoli, said the beneficiaries underwent rigorous training in business development, market validation, customer discovery, financial planning and investor readiness before qualifying for the funding.

She noted that the state’s startup ecosystem has continued to expand, with more than 111 startups benefiting from various incubation and acceleration programmes under SID.

The SID CEO explained that the latest funding exercise represents one of the largest state-backed startup investment initiatives undertaken in a single day in Nigeria.

She added that the state had already reached 264,000 beneficiaries under its 1 Million Anambra Digital Tribe initiative, which seeks to equip one million residents with digital skills by 2030.

Beyond startup funding, Okoli said the ceremony also celebrated Digital Tribe champions who received brand new laptops for their volunteer work in the state; the graduation of 300 participants from a robotics training programme delivered in partnership with Circum Technologies.

She confirmed 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 organised in collaboration with Connekt Broadband. The three-month programme equipped participants with practical skills in broadband infrastructure deployment, fibre optic installation, wireless networking and internet service operations,” she explained.

Speaking during the event, Chief Executive Officer of Connekt Broadband, Ifeanyi Adirika, announced a N1 billion Connectivity Fund aimed at accelerating broadband access across the state’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.

Okoli further disclosed that the graduates would also play a crucial role in deepening the state’s ongoing 2,000-kilometre fibre optic rollout project, particularly in extending connectivity to underserved communities.

She described the programme as a practical demonstration of the state’s innovation model, which brings together government, academia and the private sector to drive economic transformation.

The SID boss further revealed that the former Government House premises currently housing the innovation district is being transformed into a permanent technology campus, with new facilities expected to be commissioned soon.

She added that Connekt Broadband has already secured a space within the planned campus and intends to establish a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) centre that will create additional employment opportunities for technology graduates.

Participants at the event said the combination of startup funding, digital skills development and broadband investment reflects Anambra’s growing ambition to build a technology-led economy capable of competing globally.