The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Enugu State Government have reaffirmed their commitment to empowering young innovators as a strategic pathway to strengthening Nigeria’s digital economy.

The duo made the pledge during the Grand Finale of the Enugu Campus Hackathon, held at International Conference Centre, Enugu on Friday.

Speaking at the event, Dr Aristotle Onumo, Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnerships, NITDA,
said that Nigeria’s growth in the digital sector would be driven by young innovators, hence need to empower them.

According to Onumo , the agency’s mission is to make Nigeria a digitally empowered and inclusive nation driven by innovation.

He highlighted the opportunities available under the Nigerian Startup Act, describing it as a landmark national framework designed to empower startups.

The Act, he said, provided structural support through startup labeling, access to funding opportunities, regulatory guidance, visibility platforms, and investor connections.

He urged participants to engage with the Act’s national coordinator present at the event to leverage its benefits.

“This is your opportunity to promote innovation, get recognition, and unlock access to both local and international support systems.

“Today is not just the end of a competition. It is the beginning of a journey — a journey from idea to impact, from prototype to product, from talent to transformation,” he said.

He reminded participants that innovation was not solely about technology but about courage to try, fail, persist, and build solutions where others see obstacles.

“You represent a generation that will redefine Nigeria’s future — not through oil, but through ideas; not through natural resources, but through intellectual capital,” he said.

He urged the young innovators to see themselves not merely as students but as founders, leaders, and change-makers.

He said they were expected to build Nigeria’s digital future from within, saying that future of Nigeria’s digital economy would not be imported but build by them.

“Additionally, NITDA supports innovators through initiatives such as the National Centre for Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” he said.

Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State, expressed his administration’s commitment to bold economic reform, institutional discipline and the transformation of Enugu State into a modern, innovation-driven economy.

He said the central to the vision was a strategic shift from a consumption-based model to a productivity-led economy powered by enterprise, technology, and private sector participation.

Mbah, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, emphasised that the state was redesigning its educational system to produce problem solvers rather than mere certificate holders.

“Through curriculum modernisation and technology-driven learning, young people are being prepared for the sophisticated demands of the global workforce.

“The Enugu State Campus Hackathon Initiative is not a transient programme but a structured, state-backed innovation pipeline designed to identify, refine, and elevate high-potential technology talent across tertiary institutions,” he said.

Mbah explained that winner of the competition would receive $5,000 alongside six months of incubation support valued at over $10,000 while second-place team would receive $3,500 with similar incubation support

According to him, the third-place team will be awarded $2,500 with structured enterprise support.

Earlier, the Special Adviser to Mbah on Digital Economy and MSMEs, Mr Arinze Chilo-Offia, said the competition was first edition of the Enugu Startup Campus Hackathon.

He said it was aimed at strengthening the state’s innovation ecosystem and empower young tech talents across tertiary institutions.

Chilo-Offia, who is also the Managing Director of the Enugu MSME known as Enugu SME Centre, added that six universities including University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and its Enugu Campus (UNEC) participated in the competition.

Others are Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu (IMT), Godfrey Okoye University, Coal City University, and Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT).