The maiden edition of the Anambra Innovation Week 2024 (AIW2024) has been slated for 25-29th November, 2024 in Awka, the state capital, dangling N100m prize for Battle4Solutions, reports ITREALMS.
She said that the event draws strength from the Solution Innovation District (SID), an initiative by the Anambra State Government under the visionary leadership of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo.
According to her, "In line with Governor Soludo’s agenda to make Anambra Nigeria’s digital and creative capital, SID is dedicated to developing a thriving ecosystem for digital talent, startups, and innovative businesses across the state."
Stressing that their mandate encompasses nurturing the "Anambra Digital Tribe, supporting the startup ecosystem, incubating promising ventures, fostering research commercialization, and helping businesses leverage technology to scale.
Through programs like LevelUp Anambra and Code Anambra, we have trained over 25,000 youths on various deep technology skills preparing them for jobs in the global market-and many other them secure such jobs daily, while our SID Teen Digital Bootcamp cultivates a new generation of talented teens poised for future global impact."
Additionally, she said, the Anambra State Startup Law, a domestication of the Nigerian Startup Act, is underway to boost an environment that nurtures creativity, entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic growth.
Okoli noted that in support of this commitment, Governor Soludo has prioritized infrastructure, with over 2,000 km of fiber duct being laid across the state for last-mile internet connectivity. A 13.7-hectare plot of land, currently home to the Government House, has been designated as the permanent site for SID.
Further, she said the master plan redesign is complete, and construction on the first major structure has begun, setting the foundation for what will become a hub of innovation and technology -Anambra’s own “Silicon Valley.”
Meanwhile, Okoli said, SID operates from a temporary center equipped with a digital skills lab, robotics lab, coworking spaces, training halls, high-speed internet, and a productive environment for startups and tech enthusiasts.
"On behalf of Mr Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the Governor of Anambra State, I am very delighted to announce the Anambra Innovation Week 2024."
As said by Okoli, the Anambra Innovation Week is set to become an annual event and a leading platform for showcasing Nigeria and Africa’s fast-growing and vibrant technology and innovation ecosystem, while underscoring our vision to make Anambra the Silicon Valley of Africa. Over the five day event, we will bring together innovators, policymakers, Top Tech CEOs, industry, entrepreneurs, investors, digital experts, and academics from Africa and beyond. AIW will feature exhibitions, showcases, competitions, games, keynotes, high-level panels, fireside chats, workshops, masterclasses, and a TradeNovation Fair for SMEs, all designed to advance technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship across the continent.
She pointed out that AIW prioritizes growth through bold ideas, talent, technology and invention highlighted by our flagship competition called Battle4Solutions. An innovation competition with a prize pool of over one hundred million naira (N100,000,000) in cash prizes.
This competition, Okoli said, invited Nigeria’s brightest startups to pitch solutions addressing critical societal challenges in various sectors such as digital health, renewable energy, e-commerce, agritech, fintech, environment, education etc.. Government ministries, agencies, academic institutions, startups, and creators are all welcome to participate in their categories of competition , with full details available on our website.
Innovators both in Anambra and across Nigeria, she said, are eligible to apply and compete in the Battle4Solutions.
Application, she said has opened on www.innovationweek.anambrastate.gov.ng
We will continue to share updates on confirmed speakers and partners in the coming days leading up to the event across Solution Innovation DIstrict’s social media pages and the Anambra Innovation Week’s event website and pages.
Nweke Ozo Nweke/Editor
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