Lawrence Ezeh, the Enugu State commissioner for innovation, science and technology, says the Enugu Tech Festival 2026 recorded 53,000 attendees, exceeding its 50,000 projection.
Mr Ezeh, the festival’s convener, told journalists in Enugu on Monday that the surge reflected Nigerians’ growing belief in technology and innovation as the future.
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The four-day festival, with the theme “Coal to Code: Energy in New Form”, was held from 24 February to 27 February.
He described it as “a resounding validation of Enugu’s vision to become a tech-innovation trailblazer in Africa”.
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Mr Ezeh said the event attracted both physical and online participants, marking unprecedented digital engagement for an African technology convergence.
“We set out to inspire 50,000 innovators, thinkers, founders, investors and digital talents.
“To see nearly 60,000 people here in real time — not registrations but actual engagement — shows the African tech narrative is shifting,” Mr Ezeh said.
He said 20,000 attended on Day One, 15,000 on Day Two, 13,000 on Day Three and 5,000 on Day Four.
Each day, he added, focused on a central theme and featured speakers from government, global technology firms, start-ups and academia.
Mr Ezeh said the federal government reaffirmed backing for youth-driven technology enterprises to advance innovation nationwide.
He quoted the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Udeh, as saying: “We are strengthening Nigeria’s science, technology and innovation ecosystem.
“Research commercialisation and youth entrepreneurship are central to our economic diversification strategy.”
Mr Ezeh said the festival’s most tangible legacy was youth empowerment, with hundreds receiving laptops and tablet devices.
He said the devices were awarded to top hackathon performers, student innovators and emerging developers after competitive assessments.
“In a further boost, select start-up founders and innovation teams received N10 million grants each.
“Additional groups secured grants worth several hundreds of thousands of naira for digital training, prototype development and community technology hubs.
“These initiatives move beyond symbolism. Inspiration without tools is incomplete. We are placing real resources in capable hands,” he said.
‘The world has crossed a line’ – Mbah
While declaring the festival open on 24 February, Mr Mbah said technology and innovation remain at the heart of Enugu’s transformation under his administration, urging youths to explore the abundant opportunities in both.
He said that technology had since transcended a supportive role to become the operating system of how lives function.
“The world has crossed a line. What we are witnessing in our lifetime is nothing short of an economic renaissance powered by technology.
“In just three decades, companies that began in garages and dorm rooms have grown into some of the most valuable institutions in human history.
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“Enterprises like Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta Platforms have reshaped commerce, communication, entertainment, finance, governance, and even human relationships.
“The rise of these companies tells us something profound: the world economy is no longer driven primarily by physical assets, but by ideas, code, data, and innovation. We are witnessing the acceleration of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“Here in Enugu, we have made a deliberate decision: we will not be spectators in this revolution. We will be participants. We will be producers,” the governor stated.
(NAN)
