Anambra State Government has disbursed N80 million to 80 startups as part of efforts to position the state as a leading technology and innovation hub in Nigeria.The funding announcement came during the Anambra Startup Investment and Technology Skills Graduation Ceremony held at the Light House in Awka, where the state also celebrated a significant milestone by graduating 400 newly trained technology professionals in robotics and network engineering.
The investment marks a major scaling of Governor Charles Soludo’s administration’s commitment to transform Anambra into what officials describe as Africa’s Silicon Valley. Speaking at the event,Governor Soludo stated that the investment was part of his administration’s commitment to transforming Anambra into Africa’s Silicon Valley, driven not by politics but by a clear and strategic imperative to secure the future of the state and its people.
Each of the 80 selected startups received N1 million in seed capital, a strategic move designed to accelerate product development and help early-stage ventures reach market viability.
The ceremony featured the graduation of 400 technology professionals trained in robotics and network engineering, with 300 participants completing a robotics training programme delivered in partnership with Circum Technologies.
These graduates are positioned to fill critical skills gaps in Anambra’s digital economy and support the state’s ambitious infrastructure expansion plans.
The graduates are expected to play a crucial role in deepening the state’s ongoing 2,000-kilometre fibre-optic rollout project, particularly in extending connectivity to underserved communities.
Beyond the immediate startup funding, the ecosystem support extends far beyond government action.
Chief Executive Officer of Connekt Broadband, Ifeanyi Adirika, announced a N1 billion Connectivity Fund aimed at accelerating broadband access across Anambra’s 21 local government areas, with the initiative set to support internet connectivity in schools, hospitals, markets and public institutions.
This private sector commitment signals growing confidence in Anambra’s digital transformation trajectory and creates additional business opportunities for the newly trained engineers.
Chinwe Okoli, the Solution Innovation District CEO, 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 latest funding exercise represents one of the largest state-backed startup investment initiatives undertaken in a single day across Nigeria, underscoring the scale and intentionality of Anambra’s approach.
The state has already reached 264,000 beneficiaries under its One Million Anambra Digital Tribe initiative, which seeks to equip one million residents with digital skills by 2030.
Governor Soludo urged startup founders and graduates of various training programmes to leverage their newly acquired skills and resources to build sustainable enterprises and create jobs.
The government is also repurposing the former Government House premises into a permanent technology campus designed to serve as a centralized innovation hub. The broader package totals N1.08 billion when combining the startup capital disbursement with the broadband connectivity fund commitment.
