Governor Peter Mbah on Tuesday charged young innovators in Enugu State to seize opportunities in AI and emerging technologies to solve critical challenges across health, education and agriculture.
Mbah made the call at the opening ceremony of the second edition of the Enugu Tech Festival, held at the International Conference Centre.
Describing the gathering as more than a technology conference, the governor said it symbolised a renewed commitment to Enugu’s digital transformation.
He urged youths to develop expertise in AI, cybersecurity, semiconductor design and other emerging fields, stressing that technology must be applied to modernise traditional sectors.
“Tech revolution does not mean abandoning the old economy; it means transforming it. Agriculture needs precision farming and supply chain analytics. Healthcare needs telemedicine and data management. Manufacturing needs automation and smart logistics,” Mbah said.
According to him, the festival is not merely about producing coders but about nurturing critical thinkers capable of building globally competitive solutions from Enugu.
“In this room are people who will build the systems that define how we live, work, trade and learn. Let this generation be known not for what it extracts, but for what it designs,” he added.
Mbah noted that AI and digital innovation now power the global economy, marking what he described as the acceleration of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
He cited global technology giants such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta as examples of how ideas, code and data have overtaken physical assets as primary drivers of growth.
“The world economy is no longer driven by physical assets, but by ideas. Here in Enugu, we have made a deliberate decision not to be spectators, but participants and producers,” he said.
Reflecting on Enugu’s history as a coal-producing hub during the colonial era, the governor said the state must transition from an extractive model to one anchored on innovation and value creation.
He recalled that by the early 1960s, coal production in Enugu peaked at nearly one million tons annually, fueling railways and ports, but much of the value accrued elsewhere.
“Today, the resource is different. It is not buried beneath our feet; it is inside us. The question is whether we will export our raw potential or build systems that keep value here and send finished ideas to the world,” he said.
Mbah stressed that innovation begins with solving real problems, urging young entrepreneurs to focus on practical solutions rather than invention for its own sake.
Earlier, the State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Lawrence Eze, described the festival as a defining moment in Enugu’s digital journey.
Eze said the state had emerged as one of Nigeria’s leading tech ecosystems, with thousands of youths trained and several innovation hubs established since the inaugural edition.
He outlined key objectives of the festival, including strengthening partnerships, launching pilot projects in agriculture, healthcare and green energy, promoting sustainable business practices and expanding digital infrastructure.
Eze called on investors, policymakers and young innovators to move beyond ideas and prioritise execution.
“Let us build solutions that will inspire generations and position Enugu not merely as a consumer of technology, but as a creator and a beacon of digital leadership in Nigeria and beyond,” he said.
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