By Jude Michael
Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has commenced the remodeling of the Old Anambra Government House site to a technology village.
Soludo is expected to move into the new Anambra State Government House and Governor’s Lodge being constructed by his government soon.
Anambra State has since its creation in 1991 been using a makeshift location which was initially designated for construction workers as its government house.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Innovation and Business Incubation, Chinwe Okoli, who also heads the Solution Innovation District (SID), told journalists Monday in a press conference to announce the commencement of the maiden edition of the Anambra Innovation Week 2024 that the first major structure in the old Government House which is being remodeled as technology had commenced.
She said: ‘As the governor makes to move out of the Old Government House to the new one, the site being used today has been designated for technology village, and the aim is to turn the site into Anambra’s equivalence of Silicon Valley in the US.
‘This is 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.
‘Our mandate encompasses nurturing the “Anambra Digital Tribe,” supporting the startup ecosystem, incubating promising ventures, fostering research commercialization, and helping businesses leverage technology to scale.
‘We have trained over 25,000 youths on various deep technology skills, preparing them for jobs in the global market-and many others among them secure such jobs daily.
‘The 13.7-hectare plot of land, which is currently the Government House, has been designated as the permanent site for SID. 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,’ she said.
She also stated that the maiden Anambra Innovation Week would commence on 25 November and run until 29, and would feature experts from across Nigeria, and overseas, relevant federal government ministries and parastatals.
‘The event prioritizes growth through bold ideas, talent, technology and invention highlighted by our flagship competition called Battle4Solutions.
‘The competition, with a prize pool of over N100 million in cash prizes, invites 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.’
