NEWS
PBAT Smart Nation Initiative Unveils Youth in Tech Festival, Targets 10,000+ Innovators in Lagos
The PBAT Smart Nation Initiative has announced the inaugural edition of its Youth in Tech Festival, a major technology and innovation gathering designed to bring Nigeria’s emerging digital talents, technology entrepreneurs, investors and public-sector leaders together under one platform.
The one-day festival is scheduled to take place on December 16, 2026, at the Shell Zenith Bank Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, and is expected to attract more than 10,000 participants drawn from Nigeria’s rapidly expanding technology ecosystem.
The event will be held under the theme, The Making of Nigeria, Africa’s Truly First Smart Nation, reflecting the organisers’ ambition to position young Nigerians at the centre of the country’s digital transformation and smart-economy development.
According to the initiative, the festival will serve as a major convergence point for software engineers, artificial intelligence innovators, technology startup founders, digital creators, developers, investors, policymakers and public-sector leaders.
Beyond celebrating technological innovation, the festival is designed to create practical connections between grassroots technical talent and the systems required to transform innovative ideas into scalable solutions.
The organisers said the event would provide opportunities for young technology professionals to gain access to public-sector digital infrastructure, enterprise investment, policy frameworks and smart-governance initiatives capable of supporting the implementation of locally developed technologies.
Artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, fintech resilience, cybersecurity and smart-city governance are expected to dominate discussions at the festival as participants examine the technologies shaping the future of Nigeria and the wider African continent.
The programme is expected to provide a platform for experts and young innovators to explore how emerging technologies can address some of Nigeria’s most pressing economic, social and governance challenges.
Artificial intelligence is expected to receive particular attention as Nigeria continues to witness rapid growth in AI adoption, software development, digital services and technology-driven entrepreneurship.
The festival will also examine the importance of resilient digital financial systems, stronger cybersecurity architecture and technology-enabled urban development as essential components of a modern smart nation.
The Lead Convener of the PBAT Smart Nation Initiative, Amb. Joshua Omeiza Emmanuel, has identified youth-led innovation as a critical force in Nigeria’s transition towards a more digitally driven economy.
The festival is being positioned not merely as a technology conference but as an economic accelerator capable of connecting Nigeria’s young technology professionals with policymakers, venture capital, enterprise opportunities and real-world platforms for deploying innovative solutions.
The initiative believes that Nigeria’s large and youthful population represents a significant pool of technical talent that can drive digital industrialisation when provided with the right infrastructure, investment opportunities, institutional support and enabling policies.
The Youth in Tech Festival will feature a wide range of activities, including keynote presentations, high-level panel sessions, live developer showcases and policy dialogues.
Participants are also expected to benefit from networking sessions, institutional investor meetups and talent-matching hubs designed to facilitate meaningful connections between innovators and organisations seeking technology-driven solutions.
The organisers said these engagements would provide an avenue for developers and startup founders to showcase their capabilities while creating pathways for investors, businesses and government institutions to identify promising technologies and talent.
Registration for delegates, developer communities and other ecosystem stakeholders is expected to open during the week of the announcement through the official event portal.
Corporate organisations, technology companies, public-sector institutions and other stakeholders interested in partnerships, exhibition opportunities or sponsorships have also been invited to engage with the initiative’s secretariat.
The PBAT Smart Nation Initiative says its activities are focused on advancing smart infrastructure, digital inclusion and youth empowerment, with the broader objective of contributing to Nigeria’s digital industrialisation.
With thousands of technology professionals expected to converge in Lagos, the inaugural Youth in Tech Festival is shaping up to be a major meeting point for Nigeria’s next generation of digital builders and the institutions capable of turning their innovations into economic opportunities.
The December gathering is therefore expected to go beyond conversations about technology, providing a platform for collaboration, investment, policy engagement and practical solutions aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s emergence as a competitive digital economy and a truly smart nation.