The inaugural GITEX Nigeria 2025 concluded in Lagos with resounding success, marking a milestone as West Africa’s largest tech, AI, and startup show. The event spotlighted the growing influence of Nigerian and African entrepreneurs driving innovation across diverse industries.
Held from 1–4 September 2025 in Abuja and Lagos under the patronage of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, the event was organised by KAOUN International with support from the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, NITDA, and the Lagos State Government.
The GITEX Nigeria Startup Festival served as a platform for showcasing Nigeria’s fast-growing innovation ecosystem, aligning with the country’s ambition to become a US$1 trillion digital economy.
650+ Startups From 27+ Countries
Over 650 startups from 29 industries and 27+ countries gathered at the event to co-create tech-driven solutions across agriculture, education, energy, healthtech, fintech, cybersecurity, and smart cities.
The festival hosted Nigeria’s most globally diverse investor programme, innovation hub showcases, and curated meetings connecting startups, investors, corporates, governments, and academia.
According to Hon. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy: The opportunity and responsibility lies with all of us to build a resilient, innovative, and globally connected ecosystem, one that ensures Nigeria not only keeps pace with the digital future but also shapes it.”
Strategic Partnerships and Ecosystem Growth
Local partners included NITDA, Lagos State, FATE Foundation, Co-Creation Hub Africa (CcHUB), and Orange Corners, while global collaborations featured the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the American Business Council (ABC).
Such partnerships reinforced the importance of collaboration in building thriving startup ecosystems and driving Africa’s digital transformation.
Supernova Challenge: Celebrating Startup Excellence
The Supernova Challenge, the world’s leading pitch competition for early-stage startups, made its West African debut at GITEX Nigeria 2025. Startups competed for a US$22,000 prize pool across six categories, judged by investors and industry leaders.
Winners List:
- Overall Supernova Champion (US$10,000): Curacel – AI-driven health insurance solutions
- AI (US$2,000): Build Africa
- Digital Finance (US$2,000): InCash
- Creative Economy & Martech (US$2,000): Hadiya
- Agritech & Energy (US$2,000): Acecore
- Mobility & Smart Cities (US$2,000): Kara
- Disruptor Award (US$2,000): HiPrep
Curacel’s VP, Abdul-Jabbar Momoh, expressed:
“Winning the Supernova Challenge gives us more visibility and fuels our expansion across Africa, Europe, and North America. Most importantly, we’ll continue to impact lives by transforming health insurance distribution.”
Final Thoughts
GITEX Nigeria 2025 has set a new benchmark for Africa’s tech ecosystem, providing startups with visibility, investment opportunities, and global collaborations. By uniting entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers, the event reinforced Nigeria’s role as a digital powerhouse shaping the continent’s future.
