Lagos & Abuja, Nigeria — For the first time outside the UAE, GITEX — one of the world’s largest technology and innovation gatherings — will stage a national edition in Nigeria, underscoring the country’s ambition to cement its place as Africa’s digital powerhouse.
From September 1 to 4, 2025, Lagos and Abuja will host GITEX NIGERIA, a flagship event designed to spotlight 300 high-potential Nigerian startups before an audience of more than 1,000 tech ventures, 300 global investors, and up to 20,000 participants from across the globe.
The initiative is spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development in partnership with GITEX Global, and builds on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA) programme — an ambitious digital skills and entrepreneurship platform already training over seven million young Nigerians. NiYA, which currently has more than 210,000 active learners, plans to establish Green House Centres in all 774 local government areas to foster grassroots innovation.
A springboard to the global tech stage
Speaking at the North-Central edition of the GITEX Nigeria Startup Regional Roadshow in Abuja, Dr Inuwa Kashifu Abdullahi, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), called the event “a bridge between Nigeria’s digital talent and immense global opportunities,” positioning GITEX as a “springboard into the global tech ecosystem.”
The GITEX Youth Local Showcase Series – Powered by NiYA will connect Nigerian innovators directly with global tech ecosystems, including GITEX Africa and GITEX Global, offering startups a rare chance to scale beyond local markets.
From local relevance to global impact
Victoria Fabunmi, National Coordinator of the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), said the Roadshow reflects NITDA’s commitment to helping local ventures move “from local relevance to global relevance,” adding that collaboration with the Dubai World Trade Centre will be key to delivering a successful event.
During the Abuja showcase, ventures like Bridge Pay, HiPrep, and BlinkCore Tech Limited pitched their solutions to industry experts, with top performers securing a place at the September showcase.
Positioning Nigeria as Africa’s tech leader
Nigeria’s hosting of a national GITEX marks a milestone — no other country outside the UAE has done so. Dr Abdullahi urged investors to seize the moment, engage with Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem, and be part of the country’s ascent in the global digital economy.
The GITEX NIGERIA 2025 Roadshow will travel through other regions under the theme: “Unveiling Innovation. Connecting Ecosystems. Showcasing Nigeria to the World.”
