Nigerian founders can pitch to 200+ investors at GITEX Lagos in September
NITDA is accepting applications from Nigerian startups across AI, fintech, healthtech and more to showcase at GITEX Nigeria 2026. Deadline: 21 August.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has opened applications for Nigerian startups to pitch at the GITEX Nigeria 2026 Startup Festival in Lagos, offering founders direct access to more than 200 investors representing over $200 billion in assets under management.
The agency announced the call on its official social channels, describing the event as West Africa's biggest tech and startup show. Applications close on Friday, 21 August 2026, ahead of the festival scheduled for 2–3 September 2026 at the Landmark Centre in Lagos.
Who can apply
The call is open to startups working across a broad set of sectors: artificial intelligence, fintech, healthtech, agritech, cybersecurity, edtech, climate tech, digital commerce, enterprise solutions, creative tech and other emerging technologies. Selected teams will pitch their solutions to investors, corporates, government agencies and global partners, according to the GITEX Nigeria application page.
The Startup Festival is positioned as a launchpad for Nigerian disruptors and will run alongside the broader GITEX Nigeria 2026 programme. Organisers describe Lagos as Africa's startup capital, with the city hosting the Tech Expo, Future Economy Conference and Supernova Challenge on the same dates, as outlined on the event's Startup Festival page.
Scale of the event
GITEX Nigeria 2026 runs from 31 August to 3 September across Abuja and Lagos. The Abuja leg features a Government Leadership & AI Summit on 31 August, while the Lagos programme on 2–3 September includes the Startup Festival and Supernova Challenge, according to event listings from Coinpedia and ConferenceGrid.
The event expects more than 1,000 startups and participants from multiple countries. The investor programme lists 200+ investors with over $200 billion in combined assets under management, according to a report in The Sun Nigeria, which noted the event is held under the patronage of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with support from the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and endorsement from the Lagos State Government.
Organisers framed the Startup Festival as a direct connection point between founders and capital. "The Startup Festival is expected to connect startups with investors and potential business partners," organisers said in press coverage, "while FDX Nigeria will focus on the future of finance, including digital payments, open banking, digital assets, financial inclusion and cross-border payments."
The 2026 edition carries the theme "Beyond Connectivity, The Bridge to Sovereign Innovation" and is tied to driving Africa's $1 trillion AI ambition. KAOUN International, the global GITEX organiser, is listed as the event organiser on Liners, and the conference agenda links the Nigerian edition to GITEX Global, Ai Everything Global and GITEX Africa.
This is the second edition of GITEX Nigeria. NITDA previously co-organised GITEX Nigeria 2025 under the same ministry partnership, and a 2025 programme called LaunchPad specifically recruited female-owned African startups for the Lagos showcase, offering exhibition space, capital readiness clinics and investor access — a signal that the event is becoming a recurring government-backed pipeline for Nigerian founders.
