More than 53,000 people attended the Enugu Tech Festival 2026, surpassing its projected 50,000 participants and setting a new benchmark for technology gatherings in Nigeria.
The disclosure was made by the Enugu State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Lawrence Ezeh, who also convened the festival. Speaking to journalists in Enugu, Ezeh said the massive turnout reflects growing confidence in technology and innovation as key drivers of the future.
The four-day festival, themed “Coal to Code: Energy in New Form,” held from February 24 to 27 and attracted innovators, founders, investors, students and digital talents from across the country and beyond. According to Ezeh, the attendance figures were based on actual participation and engagement, not just registrations.
“We set out to inspire 50,000 innovators, thinkers, founders, investors and digital talents. To see nearly 60,000 people here in real time, not registrations but actual engagement, shows the African tech narrative is shifting,” he said.
He provided a breakdown of attendance across the four days: 20,000 participants on Day One, 15,000 on Day Two, 13,000 on Day Three and 5,000 on Day Four. In addition to physical attendance, hundreds joined online, marking what organisers described as unprecedented digital engagement for an African technology convergence.
Ezeh described the turnout as “a resounding validation of Enugu’s vision to become a tech-innovation trailblazer in Africa.” Each day of the festival focused on specific themes and featured speakers from government, global technology companies, start-ups and academic institutions.
He also noted that the Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to youth-led technology ventures. Quoting the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, Ezeh said: “We are strengthening Nigeria’s science, technology and innovation ecosystem. Research commercialisation and youth entrepreneurship are central to our economic diversification strategy.”
Beyond attendance figures, the festival featured hackathons, digital training sessions and grant presentations, with top performers receiving laptops, tablet devices and financial support to scale their innovations.
