By STANLEY NWANOSIKE

Dr Lawrence Ezeh, Enugu State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, says the Enugu Tech Festival 2026 recorded 53,000 attendees, exceeding its 50,000 projection.

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.

The four-day festival, with the theme ‘Coal to Code: Energy in New Form’, held from Feb. 24 to Feb. 27.

He described it as “a resounding validation of Enugu’s vision to become a tech-innovation trailblazer in Africa”.

Ezeh said the event attracted physical participants and hundreds online, 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,” 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.

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, Dr 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.”

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 ₦10 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. (NAN)

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