‘A launchpad for Africa’s tomorrow’ – Lagos ready to lead regional digital transformation revolution, says H.E. Babajide Sanwo-Olu at GITEX NIGERIA
- Lagos opened its doors to West Africa’s largest
tech, AI and startup event following a high-level Government Leadership &
AI Summit in Abuja on Monday
- The nation’s commercial & innovation
capital hosts the GITEX NIGERIA Tech Expo & Future Economy
Conference & GITEX NIGERIA Startup Festival from 3-4 September
Lagos,
Nigeria – 03 September 2025: Following a momentous Monday in Abuja where
an acclaimed Government Leadership & AI Summit launched GITEX
NIGERIA, Lagos has officially opened its doors to West Africa’s largest
tech, AI, and startup show.
As
local and international guests descended on the nation’s commercial and
innovation capital for a potentially future-defining two days, anticipation was
high for the conversations shaping Africa’s digital trajectory. From H.E.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, the message on Wednesday was
emphatic: Lagos is ‘a launchpad for Africa’s tomorrow’ – ready to propel
Nigeria’s quest for a data-driven government and digitally empowered
population.
Held
under the patronage of H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, President of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, GITEX NIGERIA takes place across Abuja and Lagos from
1-4 September. Supported by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation
and Digital Economy with the National Information Technology Development Agency
(NITDA), the event is endorsed by Lagos State Government and organised by KAOUN
International, global producer of GITEX events.
Elaborating
on Lagos’s digital economy leadership credentials and quest to harness
technological capabilities for the betterment of regional society, H.E.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu stated: “Lagos is not just a city for today –
it is Africa’s innovation nerve centre and a launchpad for Africa’s tomorrow. At
the heart of our efforts to unlock digital transformation possibilities is an
unshakeable belief that governance in the 21st century must be digital,
inclusive, and data-driven. As Peter Drucker once said, ‘The best way to
predict the future is to create it’. Here in Lagos, we are creating that
future, building a data-driven government where policy decisions respond to
real-time insights and inclusive connectivity empowers every citizen in one of
the world’s most vibrant tech ecosystems.”
Over
two action-packed days, Nigeria’s commercial capital and innovation hub hosts
dual showcases across the city: the GITEX NIGERIA Tech Expo &
Future Economy Conference at the Eko Hotel Convention Centre, and the GITEX
NIGERIA Startup Festival at the Landmark Centre.
Together,
these platforms spotlight the immense digital potential of Lagos and the nation
– enabling non-tech sectors to accelerate digitalisation roadmaps through
enterprise-grade solutions while highlighting a burgeoning startup ecosystem,
strong investor confidence, and valuable public-private partnership
opportunities.
Addressing
GITEX NIGERIA attendees, Hon. Minister Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of
Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, emphasised
the essential nature of sustained digital economy development, insisting: “The
digital economy is not just about mobile apps or platforms; it is about
technical efficiency and delivering productivity gains that transform entire
sectors. This is why His Excellency President Bola Tinubu GCFR has placed the
digital economy at the heart of the Renewed Hope agenda. His vision is very
clear – that technology must not only grow GDP but also expand opportunities,
reduce inequality, and create shared prosperity for all Nigerians. Under the President's
leadership, Nigeria has embraced the digital economy as a key driver of
inclusive growth. We are not building just for elites; we are building for
every Nigerian.”
Between
2019 and 2024, Lagos attracted over US$6 billion in foreign tech investment,
cementing its position as the epicentre of Africa’s digital growth. The state
today hosts hyperscale data centres and extensive fibre connectivity,
accounting for more than 70% of Nigeria’s total tech inflows. Already Nigeria’s
undisputed innovation hub, Lagos is also home to 23 of the country’s 28
fastest-growing companies, according to the Financial Times.
Reflecting
on the significance of GITEX NIGERIA making its way to Lagos, Kashifu
Abdullahi, Director-General/CEO of NITDA, said: “The
energy is palpable, and the potential is boundless. Nigeria and Lagos in
particular are a crucible of innovation, where raw talent meets the unshakeable
will to succeed, a factory of unicorns. Lagos is the place where people use
talent and come up with solutions without infrastructure. In other places, they
use capital infrastructure to fuel innovation, while here, we use our
resilience. Because we have no options, and we need to create the solutions. We
are ready for it. As a nation, our vision is clear.”
GITEX
NIGERIA
is West Africa’s largest gathering of technology visionaries, industry leaders,
and decision-makers overseeing digital transformation of non-tech sectors. The
event also presents Nigeria’s largest and most globally diverse investor
programme, facilitating concierge meetings between startups, investors,
corporates, industry leaders, and prospective partners.
Discussing
the unique value proposition that Lagos presents businesses, Trixie LohMirmand,
EVP of Dubai World Trade Centre and CEO of KAOUN International, organisers of
GITEX NIGERIA, said: “Lagos is a mega high-speed technology
testbed that is dense, diverse, and demanding, where SMEs, startups, and
entrepreneurs succeed not by conventional rules but by distinctiveness and
necessity-driven innovation. Rising above power outages, currency fluctuations,
and maturing infrastructure, they scale faster and endure longer. Survive and thrive
in Lagos, and your products and solutions can compete and flourish anywhere around
the world.”
The event runs with support from partners AWS,
Cisco, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Kaspersky, Federal Ministry
of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy; Federal Ministry of Youth
Development, and Space42.