The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Alami Capital, in partnership with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), have unveiled The LaunchPad at GITEX Nigeria 2025 — a pioneering investment and venture-building platform dedicated to accelerating Africa’s most promising women-led startups.
Women account for 27% of business ownership in Africa and contribute 13% to the continent’s GDP. Yet, they secure only 7% of venture capital funding. The LaunchPad is designed to bridge this persistent innovation gap by channeling equity investment and strategic support into women-owned startups, ensuring they move from survival to scale.
“Who gets funded determines what gets built, and what gets built will define the economic future of Africa,” said Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of NITDA. “The LaunchPad ensures women founders are not just part of the conversation but central to Africa’s innovation economy. Closing this funding gap for women is not charity, it’s one of the smartest bets we can make for Africa’s future.”
Following the GITEX showcase, The LaunchPad will deploy $250,000 in catalytic capital across five selected ventures. In addition to financing, the platform offers mentorship, regulatory guidance, and ecosystem integration to position these startups for sustainable growth and global competitiveness.
Key Highlights at GITEX Nigeria 2025
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Funding Pavilion: Showcasing women-owned startups in technology, creative industries, and impact-driven ventures.
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Fireside for Scale: Exclusive dialogues with African CEOs and international investors on market expansion and IPO readiness.
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Capital Readiness Clinics: Investor “office hours” to prepare women founders for capital engagement.
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‘To the Stars’ Bell Activation: A symbolic bell-ringing ceremony with the SEC and women entrepreneurs, celebrating their rise in Africa’s capital markets.
Unlike grant-based initiatives such as the Cartier Women’s Initiative or short-term accelerators, The LaunchPad combines equity investment with regulatory de-risking and a continuous pathway to scale, placing it among a select global league of women-focused investment models.
“As an investor, I witness the economics of exclusion every day,” said Amina Oyagbola, Founding Partner at Alami Capital. “This is about building a vetted, investable pipeline of women-led ventures grounded in institutional rigor. Our mission is to shift capital flows, transform investment behavior, and unlock Africa’s full innovation potential.”
By targeting one of Africa’s most entrenched funding disparities, The LaunchPad sets out not only to empower women founders but also to reshape the future of African innovation and investment.
