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FAPSCON 2023: Anambra Govt Reaffirms Commitment to Innovators
Ms. Chinwe Okoli, Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Innovation and Business Incubation, has expressed the commitment of the Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration to creators and innovators.
This was the crux of Ms. Okoli’s keynote speech at the 5th International Conference and Exhibition for Science, Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (FAPSCON 2023).
Speaking on the topic “Breaking Barriers to Innovation, Local Manufacturing and Technology Development in Nigeria, Shedding light on critical barriers to innovation and technology in Nigeria”, Ms. Okoli revealed that one of the major setbacks to innovation is ignorance to opportunities offered by technology and innovation.
She reiterated the relationship existing between innovation, technology and local manufacturing, stressing its imperative of potentially impacting on the state.
While highlighting some of the strides of the present administration aimed at reinventing the staring into the creative digital capital of the Country, Ms. Okoli emphasized that the target is to transform the Solution Innovation District into the “Silicon Valley” of the South Eastern Nigeria.
“Governor Soludo has set up a well-equipped SID Centre in Awka, equipped with digital skills’ lab, robotics lab, co-working space, steady power and internet access.
“Our mandate is to activate, build and scale the innovation ecosystem in the State. We offer digital skill training and services, incubate start-ups, and train innovative SMEs in Anambra State” Ms. Okoli noted.
She asked participants to acknowledge the barriers to innovation but always remain focused on solutions, pointing out that the university needs to be a hub of smart ideas such that students graduate with both their certificates and innovative businesses which they founded.
Earlier in his opening, Mr. Udechukwu espoused on the University’s commitment to the mandate of nurturing students who are excellent in character and knowledge.
He highlighted the symbiotic synergy between the government, industry, and academia, saying that the conference offers a veritable platform for the relationship to blossom, adding that the mandate of the government of Professor Soludo is to support local manufacturing and innovation through the “Made in Anambra Project”.
He also spoke on the significance of harnessing the finest ideas emerging from the University for commercialization in partnership with the private sector.
Highpoint of the conference was the announcement of the winners of the “Mr. Governor’s Prize for Young Scientists and Future Innovators,” a competition, open to secondary schools, recognized exemplary inventors, innovators, and tangible technological products.
The schools that won and their inventions include Regina Pacis Model Secondary School, Onitsha, who took the first position for inventing a Gas Leakage Detector, Choice De Immaculate Demonstration, Obosi, who took the second position for inventing a Speech Vibrator for the Deaf, as well as Deeper Life High School, Nteje, who took the third position for inventing a Robot to Stop Moving Vehicles from Obstacles.
In his welcome address, Professor Greg Nwakoby, the Vice Chancellor, represented by Professor Mathias Ananti, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, emphasised that Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University places high premium on research and innovation which informs the huge investments the university is making in staff motivation, human capacity and infrastructural development which according to him had catapulted the profile of the university in regional and global university rankings.
Since its debut in 2018, FAPSCON has maintained a laser-focus on its agenda and reflects that focus through its themes. For example, in 2022, FAPSCON dwelt on Advancing Nigerian Content Development for Industrial Productivity and Sustainable Digital Economy.
They were received by the university management and representatives including, Prof. Mathias Ananti, DVC Administration, Prof. Osita Chiaghanam, Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) Academics, Sir Chris Obi, Registrar, Dr. Nath Udezo, Bursar, Prof. K.K. Nwozor, Dean of Physical Sciences, Dr. E. Onyema Iloh, Sub-Dean of Physical Sciences among others.
Lynda Saint-Nwafor, chief Enterprise business officer, MTN Nigeria, has assured the network subscribers that the new end-user billing system for the use of USSD services will jot affect them.
USSD, otherwise Unstructured Supplementary Service Data codes are commonly used for banking transactions, airtime recharges, and other mobile services.
The telco said that there is no significant impact or change other than the fact that they will now pay the same N6.98 per session (120 seconds) with their airtime instead of direct bank debit.
Saint-Nwafor, said this during a chat with MTN MIP fellows, explaining that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered telecom operators to ensure that the new billing model resolves trust issues and ensures transparency in the billing process.
“Our regulator insisted that at the end of every month, we are going to be providing history and statistics on the performance of the service across the board”, she explained.
Saint-Nwafor added that the new billing model has standardized messaging across all operators and ensures consistent communication with customers.
“We will take all the error codes and map them into messages that are standardised across the board. So, if you initiate a transaction, you will know if it is failing. And, when the transaction fails, you will know if it is from your bank or the telco,” she explained.
The U.S. government has recovered $225 million in what is now the largest seizure of funds linked to a cryptocurrency investment scam.
In a statement released Wednesday, June 18, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the recovery followed an extensive investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, using blockchain analysis and other forensic tools. The statement did not confirm whether any arrests had been made.
According to the authorities, the stolen funds originated from fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes that tricked victims into believing they were making legitimate investments. More than 400 individuals around the world, including dozens in the United States, were reportedly affected.
The operation involved a sophisticated money laundering network that carried out hundreds of thousands of blockchain transactions to obscure the source and ownership of the stolen assets.
“These scams prey on trust, often resulting in extreme financial hardship for the victims,” said Shawn Bradstreet, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Secret Service office in San Francisco.
Bradstreet added that U.S. officials hope the recovered funds can eventually be returned to the rightful victims.
Cryptocurrency investment fraud accounted for over $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone, according to the statement.
In a rousing declaration that is electrifying minds across the continent, Hon. Nnaemeka Ani, Special Adviser on ICT to Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has called for a homegrown digital revolution under the banner “Africa Will Rise: By Code, By Courage, By Us.”
Hon. Nnaemeka Ani
The message, part challenge, part philosophical—seeks to galvanize African innovators to move beyond buzzwords and build technology with impact and legacy in mind.
“Let’s stop building for hype. Let’s start building for legacy,” Ani urged while speaking to ICT journalists over the weekend. “Let’s stop waiting for someone else. Let’s start creating the future—on our own terms.”
At the heart of Ani’s vision is a shift from tech consumerism to tech authorship. With innovation hubs sprouting across cities like Enugu, Lagos, Kigali, Jo’Burg, and Nairobi, and a growing community of developers, engineers, and entrepreneurs determined to solve Africa’s unique challenges, the movement is already taking shape.
Ani emphasized that Africa’s future lies not in flashy apps or international admiration but in persistent, intentional solutions that uplift communities—solutions that digitize public services, bridge rural-urban divides, empower women and youth, and build resilience in food and climate systems.
“We have the talent,” he said. “Now it’s time to harness it—to stop building for likes and start building for lasting impact.”
With support from leaders like Ani and rising momentum in Africa’s tech corridors, it seems that a new chapter is being written—one line of code at a time.
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