GITEX Nigeria: Lagos targets Africa’s innovation capital status
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GITEX Nigeria: Lagos targets Africa’s innovation capital status
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The second edition of GITEX Nigeria opened in Lagos on Wednesday, with technology companies, government policymakers, investors and startups converging in the nation’s commercial capital to advance Nigeria and West Africa’s digital economy.
The two-day Tech Expo and Future Economy Conference, which runs from September 2 to 3, followed the Government Leadership and AI Summit held in Abuja on Monday.
The event is being held under the patronage of President Bola Tinubu and supported by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA.
It is endorsed by the Lagos State Government and organised by KAOUN International, the global organiser of GITEX events.
READ ALSO: GITEX Nigeria opens in Abuja, attracts investors, tech leaders
Speaking at the inauguration, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, said the choice of Lagos as the host city reflected the state’s growing importance to Africa’s technology ecosystem.
Hamzat said Lagos was determined to move beyond its traditional status as Nigeria’s commercial hub and establish itself as the continent’s leading innovation centre.
“GITEX NIGERIA is here because Lagos is consequential. What happens in this city sets the direction for a continent of around 1.4 billion people,” he said.
He added that the state’s ambition was clear, saying, “We want Lagos recognised not only as Nigeria’s commercial capital, but as Africa’s innovation capital.”
According to him, achieving the ambition would require sustained investment in infrastructure, talent development, sound policies and effective execution.
The organisers said Lagos had emerged as one of Africa’s strongest technology ecosystems, with almost 1,000 active startups, representing about two-thirds of Nigeria’s startup ecosystem.
The city also recorded an 11.6-fold increase in enterprise value to $15.3bn and produced five unicorns, according to the 2025 Dealroom Global Tech Ecosystem Index.
The index ranked Lagos as the world’s fastest-growing tech hub, placing it ahead of 287 cities across 69 countries.
The city also hosts 23 of the 28 Nigerian companies listed in the Financial Times’ 2025 ranking of Africa’s fastest-growing companies.
The GITEX Nigeria exhibition is expected to feature more than 400 companies and startups showcasing technologies aimed at transforming various sectors of the economy.
More than 200 investors managing assets estimated at $200bn are also expected to participate alongside thousands of visitors.
The Chief Executive Officer of GITEX, Trixie LohMirmand, said the event was designed to connect Nigerian and African innovators with international markets, investors, partnerships and knowledge.
“Nigeria has the scale; Lagos has the ambition and energy. We aim to grow collectively and put Africa at the top – not just as a consumer of AI, but as a globally competitive producer,” she said.
The event is expected to feature product demonstrations, technology showcases and strategic discussions on artificial intelligence, startups and the future economy.
With the gathering bringing together major players in the technology ecosystem, the organisers said the objective was to accelerate the ability of Nigerian and African innovators to develop, scale and export home-grown technologies to global markets.
