Why MICnet collaborates to launch maiden South-East Digital Summit in Enugu on 1st August

By Our correspondent

A technology service provider, MICnet Concept International is collaborating with some stakeholders to launch the maiden South-East World-class Digital Summit (SE-WCDS) in Enugu, Enugu Stste on 1st day of August, 2024.

Throwing light on the import of the launch in a media chat in Awka, Anambra State weekend, the Team Lead and CEO of MICnet Concept International, Engineer Mike Nebo revealed that there is the need for the Zone to take its rightful place in the community of states in the federation.

Nebo hinted that the initiative is to pull bring all the players in the technology ecosystem in the Zone to have a forum to brainstorm on the challenges and proffer solutions.

“As the world evolves through technology, the society is faced with the challenge of embracing technology and this brings to the fore, the need to keep pace with prevailing realities.

“Also, considering the fact that integrating technology can be tough, the program aims to increase the understanding of how the region can take advantage of technology, to improve its competitiveness.

“If you watch what we are doing at MichNet Concept, we are deploying a lot of tech systems for the schools in Anambra. They now have a strong database. In fact, the software we gave them is the same one they are using in the US for results computation, and transfer of teachers, and we are developing another for greater office management. We believe at the end of the day, we can build even robots that will help the region.

“In Enugu, the governor has done smart schools, while in Abia, Imo and Ebonyi, the governors have also integrated tech in budget development, staff recruitment, and workforce.

“So, these governors have done a lot towards digitizing the systems and we in the tech industry, feel we can help and that’s why we envisioned this Summit to bring everyone on board.

“We are looking at how more technologies can be developed to make systems and processes seamless, in line with what the governments are envisioning for their respective states,” he said.

Nebo said individuals, groups, students, governments, and representatives of every sector of the economy, including Health, Education, Agriculture, Tourism, Finance, and Communication, among others, are expected in attendance..

It was gathered that the other collaborators in the forthcoming be event include the Africa’s largest tech system, Abuja, Hookninjes Limited; Abia State Commissioner for Digital Economy and SMEs, Matthew Ekwuribe; Executive Chairman of Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), Dr. Vera Nwadinobi; Enugu State’s Special Adviser on ICT, Nnaemeka Ani;

MD/CEO of Anambra State ICT Agency, Fred Agbata; CEO/co-Founder of Optimum AI, Lagos, Lanre Basamta; and MD/CEO of Attesta Digital Limited, Ernest Ike Ugwu;

Going forward, Neno disclosed that MTN represented by the South-East Regional Manager, Moses Adejo and Microsoft and HP, among others, are parts of the organizations powering the
Summit which he admitted will gather resourceful personnel and partnerships across the country and beyond as facilitators to help empower the work force both potential and actuals across both public and private sectors in the South-East Zone.

Nebo pointed out that the forum intends to educate, train, and empower youths with digital tools that will improve their efficiency.

Nebo further observed that the Summit will be followed by two- week free virtual training during which time the organisers plan to give out laptops and other digital tools, with the support of some companies, to very serious individuals.

“We are engaging tech companies to subsidize the cost of laptops and other digital tools, through flexible financing options.

“Interested participants should visit www.southeastdigitalsummit.com and register for free.
“The summit will also be streamed live across all the states of the Southeast.

Also speaking, one of the partners on the project and MD/CEO, Global Star Tech Limited, Ambassador Chinedu Obeche noted that with all its potential, the Southeast region has not been able to maximize the prospects that abound with tech.
This he noted, has made visibility and maximum benefits unrealistic.

“The Southeast region is known as the commercial hub of the country. We boast of one of the biggest markets in Africa. But, the platform for e-commerce was not developed in the Southeast. That shows where we are as a region.

“If there is a problem, there is a tech solution.
“What we want to achieve with the Summit is to bring a paradigm shift that tech can assist in getting us where we want to be.
“We want to build our own Silicon Valley.

“Some days ago, we were trying to get traders at Onitsha Main Market, one of the largest markets in West Africa, to have a system of invoicing that helps to organize their business transactions but we have met a stiff resistance.

“Eventually, we installed a PoS that helps a marketer have every item in his shop in the system, and at one click, he knows his stock balance and where his money is. That technology alone has changed the way his business is run.

“We are building a tech solution that connects the farmer in the bush with the buyer that offtakes such produce.
“The majority of the problem is that we have the product but no visibility. Hence the need for this kind of summit,” he said.

Also spesking,, an Events Anchor and Media Consultant with Michnet Concept International, Mrs Ify Aronu-Okafor said the time has come for the South-East to unite and overcome the drawbacks and aggregate ideas on how best to reach the apex in the collective development of digital technology.
Aronu-Oksfor explained: “What has divided us so far is the unhealthy competition and bickering. But because now, the outlook is global, the world will not sit and watch South-East states compete among themselves.

“The Southeast needs to unite through tech to become a strong voice in Nigeria and we commend the Southeast governors for taking ICT very seriously.
“So, this summit is to learn from each other, galvanize and build on what we have to become a tech-power region, to begin to go beyond government and engage the private sector effectively.”

In his demarks, the focal person and CTO of Tech Hub Nigeria Limited, Amos Ude hinted that the Summit rotates from.one State to another in the Zone, expressing the necessity to build the biggest tech hub in the South Eastern States.

Noting that the Summit will serve as an avenue to voice critical challenges impacting on the growth of the Zone, Ude expressed belief that the Summit will go a long way in sensitizing the populace on the need to look up to technology and internet connectivity as drivers of development through social engineering.