GITEX Nigeria opened in Lagos on 2 September 2026, bringing together tech enterprises, government policymakers, investors, and startups to accelerate West Africa’s rise in the global intelligence economy. The second edition of the event began with a high-profile inauguration ceremony attended by influential figures from government and industry.

The event followed Monday’s sell-out Government Leadership & AI Summit in Abuja. From there, West Africa’s largest tech, AI, and startup event moved to Lagos, Nigeria’s financial and economic hub, for two days of innovation showcases and strategic dialogue.

Held under the patronage of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GITEX Nigeria is supported by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, working alongside the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). Additionally, the event is endorsed by the Lagos State Government and organised by KAOUN International, the global organiser of GITEX events.

Lagos, meanwhile, continues to set the pace for Africa’s innovation economy. According to the 2025 Dealroom Global Tech Ecosystem Index, the city was ranked the world’s fastest-growing tech hub. It recorded an 11.6-fold increase in enterprise value, reaching US$15.3 billion, and produced five unicorns. As a result, Lagos placed ahead of 287 cities across 69 countries.

Furthermore, Lagos is home to almost 1,000 active startups, representing around two-thirds of Nigeria’s nationwide ecosystem. It is also Africa’s highest-ranked startup hub, hosting 23 of the 28 Nigerian businesses featured in the Financial Times’ 2025 ranking of Africa’s fastest-growing companies.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Governor of Lagos State H.E. Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat commended the state’s success in consolidating its position as Nigeria’s leading tech and startup hub. He said Lagos is consequential and that developments in the city set the direction for a continent of around 1.4 billion people. He added that the Lagos State Government wants the city recognised not only as Nigeria’s commercial capital, but as Africa’s innovation capital, and stressed that such a position must be earned through infrastructure, talent, policy, and execution.

Meanwhile, H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, highlighted the importance of building interoperable digital infrastructure that connects African innovation with commercial opportunities across the continent. He said Africa should not simply import digital systems built for other regions, noting that the continent has the talent and technical expertise to shape its own digital transformation. He called for urgent action to connect Africa’s innovation to a single digital continental market, allowing the African private sector to operate and expand across borders.

Similarly, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of NITDA, emphasised Nigeria’s ambition to empower homegrown innovation and advance digital sovereignty. He said the country must be intentional about participating in the digital economy and must create an enabling environment for young talent to innovate. He added that Nigeria is focused on data sovereignty, cloud sovereignty, operational sovereignty, and AI sovereignty, and wants to become an active builder of technology rather than a passive recipient.

The inauguration also drew attention to President Tinubu’s signing of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 in June. The Act replaces the 2007 legislation with a modern framework for secure and inclusive digital identity, reinforcing the National Identification Number (NIN) as Nigeria’s primary identity credential. It aims to strengthen interoperability, data protection, cybersecurity, and access to public and private-sector services.

Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, Director-General and CEO of the National Identity Management Commission, stressed the importance of digital trust. She said connection without trust breeds vulnerability, whereas embedding trust into the framework makes onboarding effortless and accelerates cross-border trade. She noted that the AfCFTA promises the world’s largest integrated market, but that trade today runs through digital channels requiring seamless contract signing, credential verification, and payment authentication across jurisdictions.

The Lagos inauguration also marked the opening of the Tech Expo & Future Economy Conference, Startup Festival, and FDX, running from 2 to 3 September. More than 400 exhibiting companies and startups are presenting solutions aimed at driving cross-sector transformation. Thousands of visitors and over 200 investors, managing US$200 billion in assets, are attending the event.

Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of GITEX, highlighted the international connections underpinning the event. She said GITEX Nigeria exists to help Nigerian and African innovators take their technologies to the world while gaining access to knowledge, networks, and international partnerships. She added that Nigeria has the scale, and Lagos has the ambition and energy, to help position Africa as a globally competitive producer of AI rather than just a consumer.

Overall, GITEX Nigeria has reaffirmed Lagos and Nigeria’s growing role in shaping Africa’s digital and innovation future.

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