Lagos showcases startups, digital economy ambitions at GITEX Nigeria

The Lagos State Government has showcased its technology ecosystem, emerging startups and investment opportunities at GITEX Nigeria 2026, using the international technology event to strengthen partnerships and promote the state’s ambition to become Africa’s innovation capital.

The Lagos State Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (MIST), led by Commissioner Olatunbosun Alake, coordinated the state’s participation at the event, held at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The two-day programme featured a technology exhibition, the Future Economy Conference and a Startup Festival, bringing together government officials, technology entrepreneurs, investors and international stakeholders.

A welcome dinner ahead of the programme attracted representatives of Lagos, Katsina, Jigawa, Ondo, Kwara, Delta, Borno and Ogun states, alongside founders, investors and diplomatic guests.

Speakers included Sam Egube, Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who represented the governor; Trixie LohMirmand, Executive Vice President of Dubai World Trade Centre and Chief Executive Officer of KAOUN International; and representatives of the Moroccan Consulate. Alake also highlighted opportunities within Lagos’ innovation ecosystem.

At the opening of the Lagos programme, Deputy Governor Kadri Obafemi Hamzat described Lagos as a “consequential city”, saying the decision to host GITEX reflected the state’s growing influence in Africa’s technology landscape.

Hamzat reiterated the government’s ambition to position Lagos not only as Nigeria’s commercial capital but also as Africa’s innovation capital. He cited the presence of nearly 1,000 active startups as evidence of the ecosystem’s potential, while emphasising the need for sustained investment in infrastructure, talent, policy and implementation.

Throughout the event, MIST showcased startups, technologies, partnerships and investment opportunities to potential investors and international collaborators.

The Governor’s Special Adviser on Innovation, Technology and Broadband Development and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Ganiyu Oseni, stressed that infrastructure and policy must advance together to support a competitive digital economy.

He identified connectivity, electricity, digital identity and talent development as critical requirements, urging investors to establish operational bases in Lagos rather than treat the state merely as a market.

Oseni also called for Nigeria to move beyond adopting foreign technologies and develop home-grown solutions in digital finance, tokenised assets and cross-border settlements that could compete across Africa and globally.

More than two dozen startups and technology companies participated in the exhibition, covering artificial intelligence, financial technology, cybersecurity, education technology, agriculture and logistics.

Among the companies seeking investment and market opportunities were Sidebrief, DawnAI, RollaPay, Hyperspace Technologies, Sowota and Climatrix AI.

The second day placed greater emphasis on financial technology through FDX Nigeria by GITEX, which examined digital payments, banking, financial inclusion, digital assets and cross-border finance.

A major highlight was the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) Pitch Programme, organised in partnership with TechQuest STEM Academy and MIST. The initiative provided selected entrepreneurs with an opportunity to present their businesses, products and growth strategies to investors and other ecosystem stakeholders, strengthening the funding pipeline for Lagos-based innovators.

The programme also featured the launch of MINT Africa by GITEX, a platform focused on the future of finance on the continent.

Oseni maintained that Nigeria had the talent, market scale and entrepreneurial capacity to lead Africa’s digital financial transformation, provided infrastructure, regulation and investor confidence developed alongside innovation.

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