BEIJING, CHINA – September 16, 2025

The Special Adviser to the Governor of Anambra State on Innovation & Business Incubation, Ms. Chinwe Okoli, delivered a pivotal address at the prestigious Triple Helix Association (THA) & CASSSP Innovation Summit 2025 in Beijing, China.

Presenting in the summit’s session on “Innovation Districts: Theory and Practice,” Ms. Okoli showcased the Solution Innovation District (SID) - the bold vision of His Excellency, Governor Professor Chukwuma Soludo, CFR - as a transformative model for economic development in emerging economies. Her presentation, “The Anambra Story - From Theory to Transformation,” detailed the state’s practical application of the Triple Helix model, demonstrating how it is engineered to unlock:

·Sustainable Economic Development: By creating a structured pipeline from ideation to commercialization, attracting investment, and fostering high-growth startups that solve local and global challenges.

· Rapid Digital Inclusion: Through initiatives like the One Million Anambra Digital Tribe (1MADT), which is systematically building a future-proof workforce and integrating informal sectors into the digital economy.

·A Thriving Generation of Homegrown Innovators: By empowering youth with market-ready skills, access to capital, and a supportive ecosystem, turning brain drain into brain gain and fostering job creators and skills exporters.

The Triple Helix: The Engine for Anambra’s and Africa’s Future Economy

The presentation made a compelling case for why the Triple Helix model is critical to Africa's economic future. At its core, the model moves beyond silos to create a powerful synergy where:

· Government provides the essential policy framework, visionary leadership, infrastructure, critical investment, funding, and enabling environment.

· Academia drives cutting-edge research, curriculum innovation, and a continuous pipeline of talent and knowledge.

· Industry brings market relevance, scalability, investment, and the crucial pathway to commercialization.

This fusion transforms isolated efforts into ecosystem-driven growth, allowing innovation to flourish in a way that is globally connected, locally relevant, and profoundly impactful. For Anambra, and for Africa, this is an economic imperative for building self-reliant, competitive, and inclusive economies.

Ms. Okoli’s participation at this premier global forum - which convenes top-tier policymakers, directors of leading international innovation districts, senior academics, and industry leaders positions Anambra State alongside global benchmarks in the innovation ecosystem. It signals to the world that Nigeria is home to a viable, replicable blueprint for innovation-led growth, rooted in Governor Soludo’s vision to transform Anambra into the digital and creative capital of Nigeria.

The presentation concluded with a powerful call for global partnership, inviting international collaboration, investment, and knowledge exchange to scale the Anambra ecosystem, underscoring the state’s commitment to becoming a leading innovation engine for Africa.

About the Solution Innovation District (SID):

The Solution Innovation District is the flagship initiative of the Anambra State Government, conceived and driven by the visionary leadership of His Excellency, Governor Professor Chukwuma Soludo, CFR. It is designed to position Anambra as the digital and creative capital of Africa. Through its flagship program, the One Million Anambra Digital Tribe (1MADT), SID is activating a powerful innovation ecosystem based on the Triple Helix model of collaboration between Government, Academia, and Industry.

Media Contact:

Office of the Special Adviser on Innovation & Business Incubation

Anambra State Government

Email: innovation@anambrastate.gov.ng

Website: www.innovation.anambrastate.gov.ng