Today, the Solution Innovation District (SID) hosted the First Lady of Anambra State, Dr. Mrs Nonye Soludo, in an event themed "SID Tech Hangout with the First Lady of Anambra State." Her visit today, 2nd January 2024, was marked by enthusiasm, collaboration, and a shared commitment to advancing technology and innovation in the state.

Upon her arrival at the SID Center, Mrs. Nonye Soludo was warmly welcomed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Innovation and Business Incubation, Ms. Chinwe Okoli, along with some key players in the innovation ecosystem. The Special Adviser then guided the First Lady on a comprehensive tour of the Solution Innovation District Center.

The event was attended by a distinguished audience, including the Commissioner for Industry, government officials, representatives from the academia, partners, members of the tech community, developers, and beneficiaries of the Code Anambra program—both trainees and trainers.

The First Lady, Dr Mrs Nonye Soludo (Mama Anambra), expressed her gratitude to Ms. Chinwe Okoli for her dedication in driving the innovation ecosystem in the state, describing her as a "world's best" She emphasized the significance of technological innovation in today's world, urging attendees to leverage the SID platform to acquire digital skills to become self-empowered through global remote job opportunities. She thanked the Governor, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo for intentionally building the Silicon Valley of Africa right here in the State thus developing and empowering Ndi Anambra to take the lead, develop exportable skills and  build competitive startups from Anambra.

Earlier, Ms. Chinwe Okoli who also Leads the Solution Innovation District, jumpstarted the event with an opening remark expressing her joy at hosting the First Lady at SID. She highlighted the significant milestones achieved by SID since its establishment in 2023, including the ongoing Code Anambra program, which targets to train 2000 Ndi Anambra on various code and advanced digital skills. She stated that SID is committed to training the youth of Anambra State in technological skills, incubating startups, inspiring innovation, and grooming entrepreneurs.

Distinguished personalities in the innovation ecosystem also delivered goodwill messages. Among them were Prof. K. K Nwazor, the Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, who discussed the collaborative efforts between the university and SID in advancing science and technology.

Frank Uzochukwu Oli, the Principal Manager at the Nigeria Office for Developing Indigenous Telecoms Sector (NODITS), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), expressed his delight over the positive impact of SID programs. He affirmed NCC's partnership with SID to continually build human capacity and develop local content among the youth in the state.

Mr. Christian Udechukwu, Commissioner for Industry, highlighted the Soludo administration's focus on sustainable human capital development, particularly among the youth, and commended the administration's achievements in less than two years.

Mrs. Amaka Obi, TC Chairman Idemili South, encouraged the audience to give their best in acquiring digital skills, emphasizing the importance of such skills in today's rapidly evolving digital landscape.

The attendees, visibly pleased, expressed profound gratitude to the First Lady for her words of encouragement and profound support to the tech ecosystem.

The First Lady's hangout with the tech community marks a positive and promising start to the year 2024 at the Solution Innovation District as we are  now changing gears for Solution.

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