13th February, 2025
When most people think of the world’s major global technology hubs, they don’t often think of the West African nation of Nigeria. They think of Silicon Valley, Beijing, Tokyo, Dubai, New York, London, Los Angeles, San Diego, Toronto or San Francisco.
However, many experts who closely follow the tech industry on the African continent have cited Nigeria as a country that will likely come to represent one of Africa’s major tech hubs.
Let’s dive in to find out more.
Could Nigeria become a tech hub on the African continent?
Yes. In fact, Nigeria is now one of three African nations that are setting themselves aside as hubs of technology.
South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, and Egypt are also considered major tech hubs on the continent. In some circles, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Morocco are referred to as ‘the big four’ when it comes to leading the way in technology.
Based on recent figures, these four nations alone account for where over 90% of the continent’s entire foreign investments go. This additional cash injection is helping to fuel the growth of the burgeoning tech industry, especially in Nigeria, which is now regarded as an attractive destination for tech start-ups.
What are the contributing factors behind Nigeria’s incredible rise as a tech hub?
Here are some of the main reasons why Nigeria is pulling ahead in the race to become recognized not only in Africa but also on the global stage as a hub of technology:
- Huge investment by foreign companies has turned Nigeria into an attractive destination for tech start-up companies
- Any tech start-ups that decide to call this West African nation home can look forward to many benefits thanks to the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement
- Nigeria has a hospitable environment, an ever-evolving ecosystem, and a mature regulatory framework that actively encourages and fosters tech innovation
- Nigeria is now home to a huge, talented, and highly skilled workforce, plus many well-established tech leaders and experts based here are also helping raise Nigeria’s profile as a tech hub in many other ways
- At one point, political and socio-economic constraints that were getting in the way of progress have since been significantly reduced, mainly thanks to innovation-positive regulations that were recently introduced
- One of the main sectors that is witnessing the biggest growth in Nigeria and other African nations is the development of artificial intelligence (AI)
- Another driving force in Nigeria that’s helping fuel its growth as a tech hub is access to better resources. Plus, there have naturally been huge scientific advancements that have helped with the industry’s continued growth
- The other major factor behind Nigeria’s new position as a tech hub is its large GDP and sizeable population, which has had a knock-on effect in helping to attract even more foreign investment
What factors are helping the iGaming industry grow in Nigeria?
The iGaming industry is also evolving in Nigeria, with many of today’s biggest players (e.g., operators/software providers/payment processing gateways) all now catering to the Nigerian market.
Traditionally, Nigerians could only play at a top online casino in Canada, the United States, the UK, or other jurisdictions that catered to players in a handful of other markets and regions. Today, Nigerians can play on a handful of online casinos and sports betting sites that specifically cater to the Nigerian market.
A growing number of globally renowned operators and top-tier game development studios and software providers now have a heavy presence in Nigeria and several other African nations.
Which Nigerian/African tech start-ups have had the most success so far?
According to the latest statistics, Nigeria is now home to a similar number of tech start-up companies compared to Morocco, South Africa, and Kenya – its three biggest tech rivals.
In 2025, the most notable companies that are causing the biggest splash on the tech scene here are Codenatics, Clevva, Conversion Science, Blockchain Founders Fun, DataProphet, and Dileny Tech.
That’s not forgetting Xineoh Technologies Inc., Aerobotics PTY Ltd, Umdoko Internet, AI Automated Solutions, Affluence, SIVOXI, Founders Fun, Amini, WideBot, Amini, and Curacel, plus countless others.
Final thoughts
Over the coming years, Nigeria is expected to emerge as Africa’s leading technological hub, with everything to be proud of. Money is being spent in all the right places, and the ecosystem matures daily.
It’s home to an extraordinarily skilled and highly talented workforce powered by intelligent minds. Thanks to plenty of financial backing at home and from foreign investments, they can continue to assert themselves as a dominant force on the tech start-up scene.
Although Nigeria may not be traditionally thought of as a tech hub, things are rapidly changing, especially now they have the right tools to move forward in the artificial intelligence sector and many other cutting-edge technological sectors.
Some of the only challenges standing in the way right now in Nigeria are the high rate of unemployment and the lack of digital skills among the youth. However, on a positive note, Nigeria can continue its upward trajectory with a steady flow of international investment, but that’s not all.
There’s also the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy 2020-30, which aims to address many of the issues that are currently holding Nigeria back from becoming a true player on the global tech hub scene.
Ten years from now, many experts predict that the ecosystem and infrastructure for tech start-ups will look very different from what it does today, and the scene will rapidly explode over the coming years so that Nigeria can enjoy the high levels of success it deserves.
