DIRA Tech Fest 2026
DIRA Tech Fest 2026 was the first edition of what is designed to become the Northwest Region's annual innovation and digital entrepreneurship event. The festival ran across two venues over three days. Days 1 and 2 were held at LTC Hall, Mile 3, Bamenda, where 108 participants trained in 10 specialised digital skills tracks before forming cross-functional teams and building working products in 48 hours.
Day 3 moved to Cathedral Hall, Bamenda, where a public festival, a government Tech Summit, a live startup pitch competition, and a business exhibition for 45 enterprises all ran simultaneously. The Tech Summit panel brought together representatives from MINRESI, MINPMESSA, MINPROMALO, NFC Bank, and the digital business community. It was moderated by Mr. Reinhard Nebassi.
The pitch competition awarded 70,000 XAF in prizes across four teams. SWMS (Smart Waste Management System) took first place with 25,000 XAF. DIRA's housing marketplace, DHUB, was publicly launched at the event before an audience exceeding 750 people. The Bamenda Tech Startup Coalition was officially seeded at the closing ceremony.