DIRA (Digital Era) ,
youth innovation branch of ASWEDO.
DIRA (Digital Era) is a youth-led technology organisation based in Bamenda, Northwest Region of Cameroon. It operates as the technology and digital economy arm of ASWEDO (Aspired Women Empowerment and Development Organisation) , a legally registered non-profit headquartered at the AWICCUL Building, Commercial Avenue, Bamenda.
DIRA's mandate is to build digital products and organise programmes that address real, locally grounded challenges in the Northwest Region. Its work spans two complementary areas: product development (building tools that solve specific problems people in Bamenda face today) and ecosystem building (creating structured environments in which young people can develop digital skills, form companies, and launch into careers and businesses in the technology sector).
DIRA is not a training centre or an NGO programme. It is a technology company that builds real products, organises high-impact events, and operates as a youth-led startup incubator for the Northwest Region. Every programme DIRA delivers is designed to produce tangible, measurable output , not participation certificates.
The 2026 edition of DIRA Tech Fest was DIRA's public debut , and the results established the organisation as a credible, capable actor in the Northwest Region's emerging digital economy.
Organisation Details
Eight young people.
No institutional funding.
One
thousand people showed up.
DIRA Tech Fest 2026 was conceived, planned, and executed by a core team of eight young people based in Bamenda. The event was organised without institutional funding , a deliberate decision, made both to demonstrate DIRA's operational independence and to establish proof of concept for an event that would subsequently attract the institutional partnerships required for scale.
The decision to proceed without external financial backing created significant constraints. The initial approved budget of 6,570,000 XAF was reduced to an actual expenditure of approximately 3,915,000 XAF , covered through a combination of personal financial contributions from the founding team and support from individual well-wishers. Multiple components of the event were aggressively scaled down as a result.
"The event was ultimately delivered through personal financial investment and community support , demonstrating DIRA's ability to execute under severe constraints."
Despite these limitations, DIRA Tech Fest 2026 delivered outcomes that exceeded projections across every measurable dimension: 1,000+ participants, 108 trainees, 10 startup products, a 6-person government Tech Summit, 45 businesses supported, and the public launch of DHUB , the first digital product built and deployed by a Bamenda-based technology company for the Northwest Region.
The proof of concept is established. DIRA Tech Fest 2027 will be built on this foundation , with institutional sponsorship, a substantially larger training programme, and a dedicated startup funding track for the most promising ventures from previous editions.
Introducing DHUB.
The first digital product built and deployed by a Bamenda-based technology company for the Northwest Region market.
DHUB , Bamenda's Housing Marketplace
DHUB is a mobile housing marketplace that connects tenants directly with verified landlords in Bamenda , eliminating the fraudulent agency practices, weeks-long search processes, and lack of price transparency that affect tens of thousands of students and young workers in the city each year.
DHUB was officially launched at DIRA Tech Fest 2026 before a live audience of over 750 people at Cathedral Hall. The live demonstration generated sustained audience engagement and drew immediate follow-up interest from investors, landlords, and student groups present in the hall.
- Direct tenant-to-landlord connection , no middlemen
- Verified listings with transparent pricing
- Designed specifically for the Bamenda rental market
- First digital product built by a Bamenda-based tech company for Northwest Region
The eight people
who made it happen.
DIRA Tech Fest 2026 was conceived, planned, funded in part through personal investment, and executed by eight young people based in Bamenda. Their names are recorded as the founding team of a programme that will grow with every edition.
From proof of concept
to 100,000 participants.
DIRA Tech Fest 2026 was the first edition. The five-year vision is to grow it into one of the most significant annual youth innovation gatherings on the African continent.
Proof of Concept , Delivered
DIRA Tech Fest 2026 demonstrated that the Northwest Region will show up for a well-designed youth technology event, that the institutional community will participate when properly invited, and that young people in Bamenda can build real products in 48 hours under the right conditions.
DIRA Tech Fest 2027 , Scale Begins
The second edition targets anchor institutional sponsorship, a substantially expanded training programme, and a dedicated startup funding track for the most promising ventures from previous editions.
Permanent Infrastructure Established
A permanent DIRA Tech Hub established in Bamenda as the year-round operational base for digital skills training, startup incubation, and community building , anchored by a Bamenda Tech Startup Coalition membership of 1,000+.
Regional Expansion
Regional chapters across multiple cities, national broadcast and press coverage, and year-round digital skills workshops operating continuously outside the annual festival.
Continental Recognition
100,000 total participants. Recognition as a nationally and continentally significant annual innovation event , one of the defining youth technology gatherings on the African continent.
Partners & supporters
of DIRA Tech Fest 2026.
DIRA Tech Fest 2026 was made possible through the contributions, partnership, and support of the following organisations and institutions.
About DIRA & DIRA Tech Fest.
Work with DIRA.
Whether you're an institution, a journalist, a potential partner, or simply someone who wants to follow what we're building , here's where to go next.