The Swedish embassy in Nigeria has formally endorsed Enugu Tech Festival 2026, scheduled to be one of the largest technology gatherings in Africa.

The endorsement was made official in Abuja during a high-level meeting between officials of the Swedish embassy and Enugu’s commissioner for innovation, science, and technology, Lawrence Eze, and his ETF team.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday in Enugu on the endorsement, Mr Eze said that the discussions on the endorsement centered on strengthening cross-border partnerships.

The commissioner said that it also focused on capacity building for young innovators, and positioning Enugu as the epicentre of Africa’s digital economy. He described the meeting and endorsement as “crucial” and “forward-looking”, thus, laying the groundwork for stronger bilateral collaborations ahead of ETF 2026.

“Next year’s Enugu Tech Festival 2026, we are looking at having over 50,000 participants. So, it is going to be quite huge and we are very much looking forward to having the Swedish embassy fully represented.

“Enugu State is the fastest rising state in Nigeria, and this remarkable growth is no coincidence but a direct result of the visionary and innovative leadership of His Excellency, Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.

“The governor’s bold reforms, forward-thinking policies, and unwavering commitment to harnessing technology, innovation, and human capital development have positioned Enugu as a hub for creativity and enterprise. His focus on digital transformation, smart governance, and youth-driven development continues to inspire confidence, attract investment and create opportunities for sustainable growth,” he said.

Mr Eze said that it was on Mr Mbah’s foundation of innovation that the ETF was being built, serving as a testament of his administration’s dedication to making “Enugu the Silicon Valley of Nigeria and a true beacon of progress in Africa”.

Corroborating, the ETF team lead, Eliezer Ajah, emphasised the enormous potential of the festival and how strategic partnerships with global players like Sweden would deepen the impact of the initiative.

According to Mr Ajah, Enugu has the highest concentration of tertiary institutions, which means that there is a very young educated population that can be taught stuff and can learn stuff.

“It will even make sense if we can even look at around alignment with Swedfund to see low hanging fruits you have and that can be harnessed regarding tech-innovation in Nigeria within the South-East.

“We can use Enugu Tech Festival as a vehicle to unlock them since we have the numbers, we have the reach, we have the access to these people to significantly shorten the goals that are being targeted.

“So, at the end of the day ,it is a value for value; and hopefully foreign experts (embassy tech-innovation experts) will also come to speak and share things with us at the festival. Ideally for us, we want to max (maximise) out this partnership, this relationship, and the Enugu Tech Festival is going to be that Hot Bird that we can use to maximize it a lot,” he said.

The engagement signals a new phase in Enugu’s tech diplomacy, ensuring that ETF 2026 would not just be a regional event but a continental gathering of ideas, solutions and opportunities.

ETF 2026, scheduled to hold between February 24 and 27 at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, is expected to draw over 50,000 participants, including global tech-innovators, policymakers, investors and industry leaders.

(NAN)