Nigeria’s journey into the digital age reached a new milestone on Wednesday as the city of Enugu, once famed for its coal deposits, hosted what has been described as the largest technology conference in the country’s history – the 2025 Enugu Tech Festival.
The landmark event, themed “Coal to Code,” attracted thousands of young innovators, tech leaders, and investors from across Nigeria and beyond. Organized by the Enugu State Government, the festival underscored a bold and strategic vision: to reposition Enugu as the next frontier of Africa’s digital transformation.
The event’s significance was not lost on the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, who delivered an emotionally resonant keynote.
“I have never, never been to a conference on technology in Nigeria that is this big,” Dr. Tijani declared. “I founded the first technology hub in Nigeria, so I know a thing or two when technology people gather. I can assure you that today, you are part of history because we have never seen anything this big in Nigeria before.”
Tijani praised the administration of Governor Peter Mbah for moving “from policy to progress” and pioneering a model of tech-led governance and youth empowerment that other states can emulate.
“Enugu is showing how this should and will be done,” he said. “There is something powerful about your state: the energy, the ambition, the possibilities. Just two years ago, only a few people could imagine this kind of tech momentum. But today, Enugu has not just imagined – Enugu is building it.”
“What is happening today in Enugu is part of something bigger. We are now witnessing a generational rise – not one where people complain and protest, but one where creativity is used to shape the future. Not just with passion, but with precision,” he added.
Calling on both public and private stakeholders to deepen their commitment to Nigeria’s tech future, Dr. Tijani emphasized that progress would require bravery from the government, investment from the private sector, mentorship from experienced professionals, and unwavering leadership.
“Progress is not automatic, but needs all of us. It needs the government to continue to be brave. It needs the private sector to invest deeper. It needs mentors, builders, teachers, and it needs leaders,” he concluded.
For Governor Peter Mbah, the festival is more than a showpiece – it is a manifestation of his administration’s mission to build the most digitally literate and economically productive youth population in the country.
“The power of technology and innovation and what we can accomplish is something that I want the youths to be mindful of,” Governor Mbah said. “We are now talking about an era where people just sit down with great ideas and create platforms that transform entire industries.”
He pointed to global disruptors like Uber, Airbnb, and Tesla as examples of how the digital economy has upended traditional business models – all without the need for owning tangible assets.
“Uber disrupted the city taxi without owning a key. Airbnb disrupted hospitality without owning real estate. Tesla redefined automobiles. That is the power of technology. This shows essentially that technology is where the future is,” he emphasized.
Mbah also highlighted how Enugu has deployed technology to revolutionize public service delivery – from education and security to land administration – positioning the state as a breeding ground for a digital-first economy.
Dr. Lawrence Ezeh, the state’s Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, captured the historic shift with poetic clarity.
“For decades, our identity was built on coal, a resource that powered Nigeria’s industrial rise. But today, we stand in a different kind of power – the power of knowledge, innovation, and technology.”
Ezeh revealed that the Enugu Tech Festival would now become an annual event, institutionalizing the state’s digital reawakening and cementing its place in Nigeria’s innovation map.
The opening ceremony brought together a constellation of national and state leaders, including the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande; Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Ugwu; two-time former Minister of Power, and Science and Technology respectively, Prof. Bart Nnaji; Chairman of Zinox Technical, Leo Stan Ekeh; and Group Managing Director of Afrinvest, Dr. Ike Chioke, among others.
As the week-long tech celebration unfolds, the eyes of Nigeria – and indeed, the continent – are on Enugu. The Coal City is no longer just a relic of Nigeria’s industrial past. It is emerging as the crucible of its digital future. GMTNewsng
