Abia and Enugu have called for stronger regional collaboration to train 150,000 tech talents and incubate 3,000 startups across Nigeria.

The call was made on Wednesday during the South-East Regional Activation of the Africa Innovation Foundry (AIF), held at the Abia State Secretariat Complex, Umuahia.

The event brought together government officials, innovators, investors, and tech founders from across the South-East.

Delivering the keynote address, David Kalu, the Abia commissioner for science, technology and innovation, said the state has positioned itself as the heartbeat of innovation in the region.

He noted that Abia had domesticated the Nigerian Startup Act into the Abia Startup Law, becoming the first state in the South-East to provide a legal framework for startups.

The commissioner outlined key commitments, including a ₦2 billion Abia Startup Support Fund to improve access to finance.

He also announced the establishment of the Abia State Startup Administration Board to handle startup labelling, tax incentives, and intellectual property protection.

He said the state merged its traditional strengths in manufacturing and leatherwork with digital innovation through technology parks and innovation clusters.

He cited the recent launch of Nigeria’s first manu-tech innovation hub at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umuahia, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education and UNDP.

Lawrence Ezeh, the Enugu commissioner for innovation, science and technology, said innovation remained a core pillar of Enugu’s economic transformation agenda.

Mr Ezeh said that under Governor Peter Mbah, the state had invested in digital infrastructure, smart education, and startup support. According to him, the initiative is to make Enugu the premier destination for tech investment in Eastern Nigeria.

He described the AIF activation as timely and urged South-East states to align policies through the proposed South-East Digital Economy Policy Roundtable.

Elizabeth Chijioke, the special assistant to the Abia governor on digital economy, said the region’s historic entrepreneurial and apprenticeship culture provides a strong base for a tech-driven economy. She urged innovators to form cross-state partnerships and see Abia as a partner for testing, scaling, and commercialising ideas.

Justina Eboh, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, said Abia’s hosting of the activation reflected a deliberate strategy to build a sustainable, tech-enabled future. She added that human capital remained the most powerful infrastructure for prosperity in the 21st century.