Amazing: StartupEnugu, the First and Biggest Southeast Tech Event

Wow, on saturday I saw myself asking the taximan to increase his speed because I was already late for an event...training actually. 

I had to meet up with some persons at the park and find our way to Enugu.

We got to the venue at Digital Dreams , I was derm hungry. I knew I wasn’t going to learn anything if I continued with my tummy that way. So I ran off as if something was after me and thank goodness there was a shopping mall downstairs. I grabbed Fanta and meatpie.  The best meat pie I have eaten for a while. 

Event started and I was fully ready. The event is "#StartupEnugu". 

It's  a technology interactive forum for startups, tech companies, programmers, investors, bloggers, tech consumers etc in Enugu state, With a topic focusing on Building Glocal Business in Eastern Nigeria organized by Ezugwu Chigozie, The CEO of https://raadaa.com  and other Tech Entrepreneurs and Developers in Enugu State Such as Chux Edoga, CEO https://www.digitaldreamsng.com/,  Victor Anuebunwa CTO, https://raadaa.com, Uche Anichie, Convener, http://3.startupsouth.org/ , Chime Chinonso, CEO, Chimex Vinlex Tech,

Ogbonna Vitalis of tutorials.ng to raise awareness and grow the tech ecosystem in Enugu State. 

In fact, It’s a gathering of tech men, women and tech lovers. Don't ask me what I was doing there from political science. These guys  were talking about coding like it's the name of a food and the surprising thing is that most of the guys I saw inside that hall today are all "very" handsome. Some other great and beautiful ladies like myself were in attendance. 

The event was kicked off by the Program Anchor: Chime Chinonso Simon. CEO, Chimex Vinlex Tech. That guy sha. He should be called a comedian. The event wouldn't have been more fun if not for his lively personality. I had my own full share of laughter today. Microbiologist turned tech guy and from that to a comedian tech.

Opening Speech was given by The Lead Organizer,  Ezugwu Chigozie.  Hmmm. I saw a guy motivated by something greater than what I can explain. So focused and down to earth. You can never imagine that he pulled such crowd to that event. Aahhhh. Hall became so small because people turned out more than ever imagined. Chigozie love tech and have for a while been involved in building tech companies. One of the successes so far is https://raadaa.com An educational  and Research startup that have become the go to place for  universities, researchers and students who are looking for ways to save, monetize, share or even to find other people’s research as well. 

Our Mummy, a tech lover educated us on the right way to go about start-ups, and the necessary steps to follow so as to attract the necessary government incentives meant for start-ups.

She highlighted the 3year tax free policy for start-ups and how we can go about getting them. Finally she encouraged us all never to give up.

 

Ilo Calistius, Founder/CEO, Gradillo  Technologies http://www.grandilo.com/ spoke extensively on the  topic "Building from Scratch as a Young Graduate". He told us of how he started from the scratch, running errands for lecturers, how he couldn't afford a house in Enugu to serve as both an office and a home b'cos of high cost. He later moved to logos and that is where he settled and started Gradillo on a big scale. Today he is offered numerous offers from Google and companies that want quality Web developers. I was highly motivated by the guy I saw today. 

Chukwuemeka Godswill, Founder/CEO chuxemlink.com and Boldscholar.com. A graduate of English and Literary studies University of Nigeria Nsukka. In 2007 he was already doing his Msc in English. Such great personalJakomita,

He talked on "How None Tech Persons can Become Tech Founders (He studied English but have founded two tech startups).

He anchored his teachings on the founder of Ali baba, Jack Ma whom he also said is his mentor and the motivation behind his achievements. Jack Mua also studied English but later ventured into technology through his friends. Ali baba believed so much in sacrifices and partnerships according to him and that was what made him a one time richest man in China. 

He elaborated on partnership and synergies. He said that that is the only headway for startups. He also mentioned on how a help he rendered to a lecturer back then ended up catapulting him to a training organised by CBN and at the end  of the training he was giving two million naira to start up something and that brought about the birth of chuxemlink.com.

He started as a cyber cafe owner but today he has gone beyond that and has been offered partnership by "Association of Nigerian Authors.

He concluded by saying that sacrifice and free services can actually take one places. That all mustn't start with a price tag especially as a start up. He said that the success of any tech organization is when a CEO discovers that he can't do it alone but that he has to seek the wisdom of others in the areas they specialise which he himself is not conversant with.

Engr. Sam. Onyeidu, ICT dorector, FCE, Eha Amufu and CEO Sylvester Tech LTD. Was the last speaker and he talked on the  topic: "Eastern Tech Environment".

He used an illustration which had the sun, wings, and Crown.  He started by saying that the number one problem facing the easterners in tech environment is lack of leadership. Nobody wants to be under anybody. We all want to be kings at the same time and at the end of the day we loose everything. 

He employed us to think outside the box. Identify what is needed around you and work on it through collaborating with others and seeing them as equals.

The ICT director College of Education Ihamufu was also present at the event, he told us to look critically and see how we can use technology to solve the problems and challenges, facing the south-east.

There was Product Reviews, Raadaa  Institutional Relationship Manager, Godwin Collins Obekpa made a wonderful review of the product, its features and functionalities, emphasizing on how the platform functions and where they are presently. Acording to him, more than 34,000 persons are already using the https://raadaa.com platform with over 9000 research papers uploaded and more than 30 institutions including UNN, Coal City University making using of their tools, so did Trillzapp , Team Jakomita,  loudges.ng and tutorials.ng 

some of which the product are still in development.

Lastly, the Lead Organizer Ezugwu Chigozie, cheerfully returned and gave the closing remarks. He equally announced that StartupEnugu will be holding monthly from now on to speed up the growth of a robust tech ecosystem in Eastern Nigeria. And the closing prayer was said. Lest I forget, there was item 7. 

I was really impressed and I leant a whole lot. I mean, I was motivated and right now, I'm thinking towards technology. 

Written by Favour Ezugwu @ https://www.facebook.com/favour.ezugwu.50