The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Nigeria, in partnership with the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University and Tripoint Travel Limited, has concluded the national qualifiers for the GEC+ Africa Regional Pitch Competition. Held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Lagos, the event featured 10 high-growth startups pitching their models before a panel of venture judges and ecosystem experts. The top three selected ventures will now advance to represent Nigeria at the main Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC+ Africa) summit in Cape Town, South Africa, scheduled for September 2026 under the theme “Connecting Africa.”
The roadshow serves as a strategic pipeline for the main congress, which acts as a pan-African accelerator designed to link localized innovations with international venture funds, policymakers, and Entrepreneur Support Organisations (ESOs). Kizito Okechukwu, Executive Head of 22 On Sloane and Co-Chair of GEN Africa, noted that the platform aims to strengthen cross-border commercial links, allowing regional businesses to scale past their immediate home markets. Dr. Olawale Anifowose, Managing Director of GEN Nigeria, added that the initiative provides concrete exposure for local merchants to leverage international trade exhibitions and establish cross-border partnerships.
The Bank of Industry (BOI), a anchor partner of the initiative, reiterated its developmental mandate to scale small businesses through dedicated credit lines, asset financing, and capacity-building programs. Oluwatoyin Ahmed Edu, Executive Director of MSMEs at BOI, emphasized that micro-enterprises form the backbone of national industrial growth, and that deeper regional trade integration is vital to keeping economic value within the continent. During the upcoming Cape Town finals, the three chosen Nigerian teams will pitch alongside leading startups from across Africa, participating in investor match-making rooms and high-level policy panels designed to harmonize cross-border trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework.
