Lagos is an exciting and arguably the leading startup ecosystem in Africa.

Yaba is considered the silicon valley of Nigeria as it houses the headquarters of major tech companies such as Andela, CCHub, Techpoint, prepclass, etc

This morning, this got me thinking...

Could it be because Yaba is home to two major tertiary institutions of learning, Yabatech and UNILAG (close to Yaba)?

Infact I discovered the CEOs of most of these emerging tech giants are alumni of these two schools. Interestingly the CEOs of PrepClass and Tuteria were even classmates in UNILAG!

Interesting..isn't it...

Well, the same can be said about Enugu being an emerging tech ecosystem in the East due to UNN and UNEC but can't be compared to Lagos and Abuja.

But why do we South East come last in everything in Nigeria?

Okigwe and Uturu are the driest towns in the world! I lived there for over 4 years after graduating from Abia State University trying to cut my teeth in entrepreneurship. I only learnt pains and endurance in business from Okigwe.

It lacks basic infrastructure that would attract development. You can stay in Okigwe for a whole year and you won't see light. Yes electric light...Chai!!

My friends and family wondered what I was doing in Okigwe and Aba for 4 years after school....and they were right! I only left after a very close friend's dad was kidnapped in 2010.

I am still a startup at my age because I wasted time and energy in an environment that is unfriendly to entrepreneurship.

I have run and taught about small businesses for years but in the past few months with Pukena.ng, I have realized I knew nothing about business. What we knew in the east is how to build a job (a small shop in Okigwe Road or Ariara). That's not business. Only very few easterners know what it means to build a tech driven, system-reliant and scalable business. That's what it takes to build a global business. That;s what we are building in Pukena.

I think our South Eastern leaders owe the youth an apology. We should create more scalable businesses in Aba, Owerri, Umuahia, etc. We need Startip accelerator programs like CChub, Ventures Platform, etc established in some eastern towns.

Starting a church is good. I am a pastor but I think we must teach our eastern youth to build tech businesses. Even the churches in the eastern need to embrace technology more. 60% of the churches in the east don't have a website! Chai!

Mbanu!!

Opara Chibuzor of Track-a-Mechanic, Leo Stan Eke of Zinox, Jason Njoku of Spark and other Igbo CEOs, we've got a work to do for our brothers ooo...

Am taking the gospel of techpreneurship to the east!!

Mark Essien is doing that in Akwa Ibom...

We have to do it for our people. We must turn ABA to YABA

Techpoint is doing a South East tour in November. I am following them up to see how many startups they will discover in the east. I even wish I can be part of that tour.

I can offer my support to fan the embers of technology awareness in Igboland.

Igbo Ndewo nu