.By Ekene Okafor
Anambra State is undergoing a digital transformation, driven by Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s bold “Everything Technology, Technology Everywhere” agenda — a vision that is rapidly shifting from policy to impactful reality.
Speaking on the latest episode of Governance Unplugged, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, MD/CEO of the Anambra State ICT Agency, outlined how the administration’s tech-forward approach is reshaping governance, education, and economic activity across the state.
One of the standout milestones was the early removal of Right of Way (RoW) charges, a move that enabled telecom providers to deploy fiber optic infrastructure with ease. This single policy shift opened the door to unprecedented broadband access, bringing fiber-to-home connectivity to areas that previously had none.
The ripple effects have been substantial. Public Wi-Fi now serves key areas such as Onitsha Main Market, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Nsugbe College of Education, multiple student lodges, and 11 other strategic sites — powering smart learning, enhancing business activities, and connecting more youths than ever before.
Within the civil service, the digital uplift has been equally impressive. From under 300 functional computers, over 4,000 laptops and devices have now been distributed across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Local Government Areas (LGAs), and to public school teachers since 2022. The rollout of the Smart Schools Project is expected to further boost these numbers.
In addition, the digitization of government processes is in full swing. All MDAs now operate under the unified @anambrastate.gov.ng domain, streamlining communication and administrative functions. With fiber and Wi-Fi fully deployed at the State Secretariat, civil servants can now work efficiently from their offices, eliminating the need for external internet cafés.
The state has also made strides in innovation and capacity-building. Through partnerships with institutions like UNIZIK and COOU, the ICT Agency has launched strategic internship programmes that have produced solutions such as E-ID cards for civil servants — laying a foundation for long-term digital innovation and sustainability.
According to Agbata, the Soludo administration has created a policy environment that is acting as a catalyst for a broader digital revolution. But the vision goes beyond infrastructure — it aims to build a thriving digital ecosystem driven by public-private partnerships and supported by Ndi Anambra across the globe.
“This is technology meeting governance,” Agbata said. “This is how Anambra builds smarter.”
