Solution Innovation District, Nigeria
"1 Million Anambra digital Tribe Initiative"
1 Million Anambra Digital Tribe (1MADT) is a free digital skills training initiative by the Anambra State Government's Solution Innovation District, aiming to upskill 1 million people. It empowers youth, women, and informal workers through online learning, driving jobs, startups, and inclusive economic transformation across the state.
Purpose of the solution
In Anambra, Nigeria, a state of over 8.5 million people, half of whom are under 40, deep-rooted developmental challenges have stifled growth and opportunity for decades. High youth unemployment, digital illiteracy, drug abuse, rising crime, and low economic power have created a cycle of despair, especially among young people. Technology adoption has been slow, particularly in rural communities, where access to digital skills, devices, and the internet has been limited or non-existent.
Recognizing the urgency, the Governor of Anambra State established the Solution Innovation District (SID), a bold public-led response to these systemic issues. SID launched the flagship initiative, the 1 Million Anambra Digital Tribe (1MADT) a free, statewide upskilling program aiming to train 1 million people in digital and entrepreneurial skills largely through an online learning management system. It includes mentorship and job opportunities and placement service.
This program was designed as a lifeline to many youths. To tackle the digital divide, SID has partnered with innovation hubs and ICT centres (centre that have computers for administering examinations are now being multipurposed) across the state, providing free learning centres with internet access and devices, allowing young people to participate regardless of economic background. The program also includes free computers to top performers and to referrers. To fight insecurity and drug dependency, the program further engages idle youth with practical, future-facing learning and mentorship - from digital marketing to coding, product design to freelancing, essentially turning potential into purpose.
By linking skills to startup support, mentorship, and investment readiness, 1MADT is transforming marginalized communities into hotbeds of innovation. From street traders going online, to rural women becoming tech-savvy entrepreneurs, to young men finding an alternative to crime through digital careers , 1MADT is restoring dignity, driving economic empowerment, and building a safer, more inclusive Anambra from the grassroots up.
Impact
The 1 Million Anambra Digital Tribe (1MADT) has sparked a grassroots digital revolution, so far training over 60,000 individuals in in-demand digital, technical, and entrepreneurial skills, with more than 50% being women, many from rural and underserved communities. Over 20,000 youth have gained future-ready skills in coding, product design, and entrepreneurship, with thousands of informal traders now leveraging digital tools to scale their businesses. The program has also birthed dozens of startups, all led by first-time founders, and has further inspired the formation of a new angel investment network to support early-stage ventures in the state.
Beyond training, the movement has given rise to Techies4Solution, a self-organized network of young beneficiaries committed to spreading the word across all 179 towns in Anambra, ensuring that no community is left behind. This grassroots mobilization reflects the ownership and belief young people now have in becoming empowered through technology and the contributions they are capable of making with the right skills. It has also resulted in a so far female-dominated Artificial Intelligence Club of professionals and enthusiasts.
For the Solution Innovation District (SID), the program has evolved from a bold idea into developing a full-fledged innovation ecosystem. SID incubation program now receives new startup ideas as a result of skills and interest from 1MADT program. This in turn is attracting faster development opportunities and interests from the diaspora and international investors, built global partnerships, and established Anambra as a fast-emerging hub of innovation in Africa. Signature events like the Anambra Innovation Week now shine a spotlight on homegrown founders, proving that world-class innovation can take root and thrive right at home even from the scratch. The result is now a transformed narrative: you don't have to leave Anambra to succeed, you just need the right ecosystem, and SID is making that ecosystem real through the 1MADT program.
What is innovative about it?
The 1 Million Anambra Digital Tribe (1MADT) is a breakthrough in public-led innovation in Nigeria, a people-powered, inclusive, and integrated model for digital and entrepreneurial development that's rooted in local realities, not imported ideals. What makes it innovative? It is online and accessible anywhere.
Inclusive by Design: 1MADT doesn't just serve university grads or the urban elite. It welcomes informal workers, rural youth, women and even teenagers -many of whom had never touched a computer - into the digital economy. By designing for the margins, it lifts the centre.
Radical Accessibility and Scalability: Training is 100% free, with partner ICT centres in local communities providing free internet and devices (Paid completely by SID, helping build the capacity of the centres). Through mobile-friendly platforms and grassroots outreach, the program is reaching tens of thousands with minimal infrastructure barriers - a scalable model even for the most underserved areas.
Community-Driven Amplification: Young people have taken ownership of the program through Techies4Solution, a youth-led volunteer movement promoting digital literacy and program awareness across all 179 towns in Anambra (Going by communities, they now have a network in 326 communities within the 179 towns). It's innovation that spreads not through ads alone, but through the people.
Whole-System Ecosystem: 1MADT is not a siloed training program. It is embedded within a larger innovation district that includes:
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The Anambra Startup Incubation Program Remote work and job-matching portals (Anambra Jobs) Business clinics and angel networks.
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The annual Anambra Innovation Week, which showcases local talent and ideas, thus inspiring them to create and build solutions with their skills, and even digital tools for public service delivery.
African-Centred Innovation Model: This isn't a Silicon Valley cut-and-paste. It's an African-grown, locally validated ecosystem that combines tech, entrepreneurship, civic empowerment, and cultural relevance - built for and by the people it serves.
Social Impact Beyond Business: By engaging idle youth with purpose, the program reduces drug abuse, crime, and insecurity, and restores hope through skill, structure, and opportunity.
In essence, 1MADT is redefining what inclusive innovation looks like: community-owned, state-supported, youth-led, and truly transformational.
Who are the main users?
The main users of 1MADT (1 Million Anambra Digital Tribe) are:
1. Young People (Ages 10–35)
Students, unemployed or underemployed youth seeking marketable digital skills
Students and recent graduates needing practical experience and job readiness
At-risk youth previously vulnerable to drug abuse or crime, now finding purpose and pathways to legitimate income
2. Women and Girls Especially from rural and underserved communities, gaining access to digital tools and entrepreneurship training Many are informal traders or homemakers entering the digital economy for the first time
3. Informal Sector Workers Street vendors, artisans, small business owners using training to digitize their operations, manage inventory, or expand reach through social media and e-commerce
4. Aspiring and Early-Stage Entrepreneurs First-time founders gaining skills in product design, graphic design, digital marketing, coding, startup development etc Many go on to join the Anambra Startup Incubation Program or pitch at Anambra Innovation Week
5. Tech Enthusiasts and Freelancers People looking to enter the gig economy, especially in areas like graphic design, UX/UI, content creation, and software development
6. Rural Youth with Limited Access Through partner ICT centers, even those in towns with poor connectivity or no personal devices can participate free of charge.
7. Volunteers and Ecosystem Builders Youth leaders and tech advocates, such as those in the Techies4Solution movement, who promote awareness, support peers, and help scale the impact across the state.
In summary, 1MADT's users span genders, geographies, and socio-economic backgrounds, unified by a common desire to gain relevant skills, unlock opportunity, and contribute meaningfully to Anambra's future as we build our Silicon Valley -Solution Innovation District.
Who runs it?
The program is run by Solution Innovation District, a newly established innovation district by Anambra State Government. It is the first Innovation District in the Southeast of Nigeria.