The inaugural tech festival highlights Nigeria’s growing digital ecosystem
Nigeria is not known for understatement. The country’s latest tech jamboree, GITEX NIGERIA, concluded in Lagos on September 4th with officials declaring that Nigerian entrepreneurs are “architects of the digital future”. Such rhetoric might sound overblown elsewhere, but in Africa’s most populous nation, where the government has set its sights on a $1trn economy, grand ambitions increasingly feel within reach.
The inaugural four-day event, held under President Bola Tinubu’s patronage across Abuja and Lagos, drew over 650 startups from 27 countries spanning 29 industries. More than a trade show, it represented Nigeria’s latest attempt to position itself as the continent’s undisputed tech hub—a status it already enjoys in financial terms but seeks to cement institutionally.
The numbers tell a story of serious ambition. Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, working with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), orchestrated what organisers called West Africa’s largest tech gathering. International backing came from the UN Development Programme and American Business Council, while domestic partners included Lagos State, the FATE Foundation and Co-creation Hub Africa.
The timing was deliberate. Nigeria’s Communications Minister, Bosun Tijani, had just announced funding for 75 new research projects targeting startups, researchers and the diaspora. Speaking at the event, he framed the gathering as part of Nigeria’s strategy to “shape” rather than merely “keep pace with” the digital future—offering what he called “a transparent and accelerated path to collaboration” with international partners.
The event’s centrepiece was the Supernova Challenge, a pitch competition that distributed $22,000 across six categories. Nigerian healthtech startup Curacel emerged as overall champion, claiming the $10,000 top prize for its AI-driven insurance platform. The company’s victory exemplifies Nigeria’s growing sophistication in sectors beyond the fintech focus that initially drove the ecosystem.
Other category winners included Build Africa (AI), InCash (Digital Finance), Hadiya (Creative Economy), Acecore (Agritech & Energy), Kara (Mobility & Smart Cities), and HiPrep (Disruptor Award)—each receiving $2,000. The diversity reflects officials’ push for technological diversification across agriculture, education, manufacturing and energy.
Abdul-Jabbar Momoh, Curacel’s vice-president, said the victory would “fuel expansion across Europe, Middle East and Africa, as well as North America” while continuing to impact lives through improved health insurance distribution. His comments reflect the global ambitions of Nigeria’s tech entrepreneurs, who increasingly see their domestic success as a launchpad for continental and international expansion.
Lagos Deputy Governor Kadri Hamzat struck an optimistic tone, declaring that the festival demonstrated how young Nigerians with “enormous innovative minds” are “generating interest, raising capital, and overcoming challenges”. His enthusiasm was echoed by NITDA’s Director General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, who argued that “future-oriented partnerships are the lifeblood of thriving startup ecosystems”.
Yet beneath the celebratory rhetoric lie familiar challenges. Nigeria’s tech ambitions must still contend with persistent infrastructure deficits, regulatory uncertainty and complex security issues. The government’s emphasis on international partnerships suggests recognition that domestic resources alone may not suffice to achieve its trillion-dollar dreams.
Whether Nigeria can truly architect Africa’s digital future remains an open question. But with over 650 startups willing to bet on that vision, the country’s determination to lead the continent’s technological transformation has never been clearer.
