Anambra Government Champions Youth Innovation with South East Digital Tribe and SMFest Awka 2025

 

Determined to expand the frontiers of digital innovation and youth empowerment across the South East, the Anambra State government has unveiled plans to establish the South East zone’s Digital Tribe — a bold initiative to cultivate digital skills, job creation, and entrepreneurial growth.

The announcement was made by Ms. Chinwe Okoli, Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo on Innovation and Business Incubation and CEO of the Solution Innovation District (SID). Addressing journalists during a weekend press conference in Awka, Okoli described the forthcoming South East Digital Tribe as a landmark step in creating a thriving ecosystem of digital professionals and startups in the region.

Central to this development is the strategic conversion of the former Government House in Awka into the headquarters of SID. Spanning 13.7 hectares, the newly designated innovation hub is expected to serve as the operational nucleus for digital transformation in Anambra and the broader South East. The facility will support training, business incubation, and cross-state collaboration among tech innovators, startup founders, and policymakers.

In a demonstration of the government’s proactive stance, SID has also partnered with organizers of the 2025 Social Media Festival Awka (SMFest Awka 2025), themed “Disrupt and Evolve,” by becoming its headline sponsor. The festival, now in its second year, is recognized as Southeast Nigeria’s leading platform for digital literacy, creative skills development, and entrepreneurial thinking among youth.

Activities surrounding SMFest Awka 2025 are slated to kick off within the next two weeks, beginning with a comprehensive one-week virtual boot camp. This no-cost training program is expected to benefit approximately 2,000 young participants drawn from the five states in the South East — Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, and Anambra.

Participants will be immersed in hands-on sessions covering key aspects of today’s digital economy, including social media strategy, Canva graphic design, video editing with CapCut, content creation, use of AI tools, remote work infrastructure, and growth hacking techniques. The overarching aim is to equip this generation of youths with practical skills that can translate into viable digital careers or businesses.

According to Ms. Okoli, the event is more than a festival — it is a catalyst for challenging the existing order, daring innovation, and cultivating scalable solutions for Nigeria's socio-economic future. She described the theme, “Disrupt and Evolve,” as a rallying cry for regional transformation powered by technology and creativity.

Beyond the training component, SMFest Awka 2025 will host over 1,000 attendees and serve as a convergence point for Southeast Nigeria’s most dynamic digital ecosystem players. Startup founders, social impact leaders, innovation hub directors, co-creators, investors, and policymakers are all expected to attend, with the goal of forging new relationships and sparking collaborative ventures that transcend state boundaries.

Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo will deliver the keynote address, reinforcing his administration’s commitment to repositioning Anambra as the technological heartbeat of Africa. Ms. Okoli noted that under his stewardship, SID has become more than just an innovation policy—it is a vehicle driving real change, economic empowerment, and regional leadership in digital transformation.

With the SMFest collaboration, the state government seeks to convert words into action by directly funding and supporting platforms that reach and uplift young people.

Speaking at the same briefing, Mr. Ifeanyi Ochije, licensee and lead organizer of SMFest Awka, lauded SID’s partnership. He praised the Soludo administration’s unwavering support for youth empowerment through innovation, stating that the sponsorship goes beyond symbolism to create tangible impact.

“This collaboration isn’t just inspiring; it’s activating a new generation of future-ready entrepreneurs,” Ochije said. “Anambra is setting a benchmark for how government can catalyze innovation and digital growth.”

As the countdown to SMFest Awka 2025 begins, excitement is building across the Southeast. The initiative represents more than a festival — it’s a launchpad for a movement that seeks to rewrite the narrative of youth unemployment and underutilized talent across the region.

Through the establishment of the South East Digital Tribe, the Soludo administration is laying a bold foundation for what could become the most transformative digital renaissance in southeastern Nigeria’s history.