By Henrietta Madichie
The Social Media Festival Anambra State Chapter in partnership with the Solution Innovation District Awka, is set to organise a one-week Virtual bootcamp from June 22 – 29, targeting 2,000 young people across Anambra and beyond, an initiative aimed to equip participants with practical digital skills, entrepreneurial insights and access to mentorship from industry leaders to mark the SMFest 2025 Annual Conference.
Mr. Ifeanyi Ochije, the lead organiser of the event, made this known during a courtesy visit to Ms.Chinwe Okoli, Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Innovation and Business Incubation, in her office at Solution Innovation District (SID) Awka, in recognition of her tireless efforts toward building the One millon Anambra Digital Tribe and nurturing a robust tech ecosystem across the state.
According to Ochije, the social media Festival (SMFEST) is a platform where entrepreneurs, content creators, Startups and digital professionals gathered to connect, innovate and grow, exploring how social media, technology and innovation can boost businesses, personal brands and digital communities, announcing this year’s theme as “Disrupt and Evolve”.
Ochije highlighted SMFest 2025 to include a one-week bootcamp for 2,000 youth participants in social media strategy, design, AI tools,content creation and remote work; while the founders meet to connect digital ecosystem leaders across the southeast scheduled for July 4 to make way for the main conference on July 5 at Hollywood event center Awka, hosting more than one thousand attendees for keynotes, workshops and tech showcases.
Ms. Okoli expressed her excitement over the partnership and reaffirmed the state’s readiness to collaborate with organisations like SMFest to scale digital literacy and economic growth.
High point of the visit was a guided tour to the permanent site of Solution Innovation District (SID), a 13.7 hectare facility located at the historic old Government House, Awka, recently released in its entirety to SID by the Anambra State Government.
This strategic move underscores Governor Soludo’s commitment to repositioning Anambra as a hub for innovation, talent development and digital transformation.
“This is not just a land, it is the future of thousands of young innovators, entrepreneurs and change-makers. We are greatful to Governor Soludo for releasing this symbolic landmark and with partners like SMFest, we will raise a new generation of digital leaders,” Okoli said.
SMFest co – founders commended the vision behind the One Millon Anambra Digital Tribe and pledged to support its objectives through collaborative programming, training and mentorship opportunities.
The SID permanent site, set to house incubation hubs, co- creation labs, digital classrooms and enterprise centres is expected to become a melting pot for ideas and economic empowerment accelerating the governor’s “Everything Technology, Technology Everywhere” mantra.
As the June 22 – 29 virtual bootcamp draws near, anticipation is high for what is shaping up to be one of the largest youth focused digital training event in the region this year.
Henrietta is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
