“What we expect from this year’s Enugu Tech Fest — there is a very great improvement from what we had last year.”
With those words, Prince Lawrence Ezeh, Enugu State’s Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, set out an ambitious vision for the 2026 edition of the Enugu Tech Festival, which opens on 24 February in south-eastern Nigeria.
Speaking in an interview monitored by Time Africa, Ezeh said this year’s event would feature three days of free, uninterrupted digital skills training for more than 67,000 people. Trainers from the United Kingdom, including partners from 1Goal Analytics, will deliver the sessions, with participants receiving foreign certification on completion.
The four-day gathering, known as Enugu Tech Festival 2.0, is expected to attract over 50,000 tech enthusiasts, startups and investors to Enugu between 24 and 27 February. It is organised by the Enugu State Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology as part of Peter Mbah’s wider push to position the state as a growing centre for digital innovation in Africa.
Ezeh said the scale of training marks a significant expansion on last year’s programme. “We are going to train over 67,000 persons on some digital skills,” he said, adding that the involvement of UK-based instructors would expose participants to global standards and practices. The training is expected to cover areas such as data analytics, digital marketing, software development and emerging technologies, equipping young people with skills aligned to international labour markets.
The festival will also spotlight startups that took part in previous hackathons, incubation schemes and design thinking challenges run by the ministry. According to the commissioner, many of those young innovators will receive laptops, tablets and other tools during the event to support their growth. The intention, he said, is not only to reward innovation but to remove practical barriers that often limit early-stage entrepreneurs.
A central feature of the festival is its investor engagement. Ezeh said the state had carefully vetted investors ahead of the event and shared pitch materials from nearly 100 selected startups. Once the festival opens, dedicated “deal rooms” will allow founders to present their ideas directly to potential backers.
“Once they are here, deal rooms will be open and these young people will start pitching to all the investors,” he said. He expressed confidence that more than 80% of the participating startups would secure backing or partnerships that could help them scale significantly. “There is no way 80% of them will not scale up seriously and catch the minds and attention of investors,” he added.
The festival carries the theme “Coal to Code: Energy in New Form”, a reference to Enugu’s history as a coal-mining city and its ambition to reinvent itself as a technology hub. Once known as the coal capital of Nigeria, Enugu is now seeking to transform its economic identity towards knowledge, innovation and digital enterprise.
Nigeria is already home to one of Africa’s largest startup ecosystems, with Lagos widely regarded as the country’s tech capital. Enugu’s leaders hope the festival will help decentralise that momentum, creating opportunities in the south-east and reducing regional disparities in access to funding and digital infrastructure.
Beyond the numbers, officials argue the festival reflects a broader policy direction within the state government — one focused on youth empowerment, job creation and attracting foreign partnerships. By bringing in UK trainers and international investors, the organisers aim to bridge local talent with global markets.
The Embassy of Sweden in Abuja formally endorsed the event, emphasising cross-border cooperation and capacity-building, and reinforcing Enugu’s ambitions to become a continental centre of technological excellence.
For Ezeh, the objective is clear. “This year’s festival is not just about gathering,” he said. “It is about training, empowering and creating opportunities that will last beyond these four days.”
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