The Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, alongside government officials, industry leaders, and innovators, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening its technological ecosystem at XPLORE 2025, held over the weekend in Abuja.

The event, themed “Shaping Africa’s Digital Future,” brought together young innovators, tech entrepreneurs, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore digital transformation and Nigeria’s role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Represented by Usman Yohanna, Minister Olawande lauded the second XPLORE Disruptors initiative, highlighting that young Africans are driving a continent-wide digital revolution. He stressed that innovation thrives through partnerships between government, private sector, academia, and development institutions, and pledged that the ministry would continue to promote digital literacy, entrepreneurship, startup incubation, and policies ensuring all Nigerian youths can access opportunities in the digital economy.

“Innovation flourishes when government, private sector, and young talents collaborate. No Nigerian youth should be left behind in the digital economy,” he said.

Dr. Matthew Adepoju, Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), emphasized the alignment of XPLORE 2025 with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that Africa must fully engage in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He added that NASRDA has established new departments focused on AI, space robotics, and space enterprise initiatives to help young innovators turn ideas into market-ready solutions.

“The private sector is the primary driver of technological advancement. Events like XPLORE provide an essential platform for collaboration and innovation,” he said.

Addressing participants on behalf of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Ms. Maimunat Lawal praised the initiative for uniting innovators, investors, SMEs, and policymakers. She highlighted ACCI’s four strategic centres—the Dispute Resolution Centre, Policy Advocacy Centre, Abuja Trade Centre, and BEST Centre—as pivotal in supporting capacity development, policy advocacy, trade facilitation, and investment promotion for startups and SMEs.

Leadership expert Dr. Linus Okorie urged participants to build personal leadership capacity to compete globally, stressing that transformational leadership is critical for meaningful innovation.

“The world is transforming faster than ever. To excel in tech, one must compete not just nationally, but globally,” he said.

Engr. Light Ihesiulo, convener of XPLORE Disruptors, thanked participants and partners for their support, emphasizing his motivation to empower African youths to build global businesses. Organizers describe XPLORE Disruptors 2025 as the largest tech event in Africa, spotlighting innovators and trailblazers who are redefining technology and driving unprecedented change across industries.