The Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Lawrence Ezeh, disclosed on Sunday that Gov. Peter Mbah, who is the Special Guest of Honour to the festival, would share the Enugu rapid growing tech-innovation and youth-tech-engagement experience and declare the event open.
The Texh festival is slated for Feb. 24 to Feb.27 at the Enugu International Conference Centre.
He said, “Others are: Chief Gossy Ukanwoke, Managing Director of Kingmakers; Dr Kingsley Eze, CEO Tenece Group; Hakeem Adeniji-Adele, Deputy Managing Director eTranzact International PLC and Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman Nigerian Communications Commission.
“The rest are: Ugochukwu Aronu, CEO of Xend Finance; Onyekachi Christian Oparah, Zoho Corporation for West Africa; Napa Onwusah, Managing Partner at B4B Partners; Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Nigeria’s Chief Technology and Information Officer; Chioma Ekeh, CEO TDAfrica and Chibuotu Amadi, Co-Founder and CEO, Paycrest.”
The commissioner said that speakers lined-up at ETF 0.2 represented diverse sectors shaping the future of technology, adding: “We will host technology executives, artificial intelligence specialists, fintech innovators, clean energy experts, digital policy leaders and investment partners.
‘There will be keynote speeches, high-level panel discussions, masterclasses and practical workshops focusing on artificial intelligence, agritech, healthtech, cybersecurity, renewable energy technology and digital infrastructure development,” he said.
Ezeh said that the ETF themed: “Coal to Code: Energy in New Form,” reflects the current transformation from Coal City to Code City, where Enugu becomes hub of tech-innovation, tech-enterprise and renewable energy in West Africa.
He said that the ETF 0.2, which had been scheduled from Feb. 24 to Feb.27 at the Enugu International Conference Centre, would be witnessing more than 50,000 participants across the four-day event.
Ezeh said, “These will include startup founders, developers, venture capitalists, corporate technology leaders, academics, policymakers and students.
“Delegations from across Nigeria, other African countries and international innovation ecosystems have confirmed attendance. The scale of participation signals growing confidence in Enugu as a serious technology destination.”
The commissioner noted that the festival is driven by the bold vision of Gov. Peter Mbah, whose ambition is to transform Enugu State into a leading knowledge-based and digitally enabled economy.
“The governor has consistently emphasised that the future of our state lies in innovation, enterprise and youth empowerment. His administration is deeply committed to digitisation across government services, education reform, technology incubation and infrastructure modernisation.
“Through deliberate reforms and strategic investments, Enugu is building the foundations of a resilient digital economy capable of competing nationally and globally,” he said.
Ezeh said that one of the major wins of the festival is the scheduled three days of free and uninterrupted digital skills training (both physical and online) for more than 67,000 people.
He said, “Trainers from the United Kingdom, including partners from 1Goal Analytics, will deliver the sessions, with participants receiving foreign certification on completion.
“This initiative underscores our commitment to inclusivity — ensuring that young people, students, civil servants and entrepreneurs acquire practical skills in data analytics, software development, artificial intelligence and digital project management.”
