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February 23, 2026
The 2026 Lagos Tech Fest edition was another clear statement of intent: Nigeria’s tech ecosystem is maturing and increasingly ready for global recognition.
Held over two days—February 17th–18th—in Lagos, Nigeria, the event marked the sixth edition of Eventhive’s flagship gathering.
It convened 3,000+ attendees, 70+ industry leaders, and representatives from 1,000+ companies across 25+ countries—bringing together key players shaping Africa’s digital economy.
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Nigeria Tech Ecosystem Celebrates Innovation at 2026 Edition of Lagos Tech Fest
From the moment the doors opened, it was evident that this was no ordinary tech conference focused on freebies. The atmosphere was electric, with packed rooms, unfiltered discussions, and the deals being whispered in corners underscored the significance of this gathering: Africa’s innovation community is no longer playing locally. Instead, it’s making bold moves that are rewriting the narrative.
Lagos Tech Fest 2026
Discussions spanned emerging fintech trends and the infrastructure needed to support Africa’s expanding role in the global economy.
Some of the notable speakers who participated included Uzoma Dozie (CEO, Sparkle), Tayo Oviosu (CEO, Paga), Olumide Balogun (Google, West Africa), Douglas Kendyson (Founder and CEO, Selar), and Dr. Abasi Ene-Obong (CEO, Syndicate Bio).
Conversations ranged from emerging fintech trends to the infrastructure required to support Africa’s growing participation in global commerce. Others include Big Tech & Enterprise, Financial Inclusion, Founder & Startup, Emerging Technologies, and AI.
Highlights From Panel Discussions
Held at Four Points by Sheraton, Club House, and Landmark Event Centre in Lagos, the agenda included a leadership roundtable, keynote speeches, panel discussions, and other conversation and networking opportunities for attendees.
A panel discussion titled ‘The Relentless Need for Exits in Africa’ generated significant excitement among attendees. While advising founders, Anil Atmara-mani, Partner at Antler, said, “Exit is not an event but a consequence. If you don’t have your unit economics intact, you don’t have a business. Startups must go back to getting their fundamentals right and be certain that they know where their business money is coming from and going to.”
On navigating the thin line between impact and income, Gbolade Okeowo, Vice President at Kuramo Capital, said, “Impact and income are not mutually exclusive. You can’t say you have impact without income and expect to be sustainable. If people pay your business, you’re most likely making an impact. VC’s have a fiduciary duty to return interests to their investors, so founders should understand their point of view.”
Other panellists on the conversation were Tosin Faniro-Dada, Partner at Breega, and Takuma Terakubo, CEO and General Partner, Uncovered Fund Inc. The session was facilitated by Amanda Etuk, the Program Director at Cascador.
What Participants Loved About Lagos Tech Fest
The event buzzed with possibility as attendees immersed themselves in insightful panel discussions, inspiring keynote addresses, and high-stakes live pitches. To fuel meaningful connections, the conference offered strategically designed lounges for efficient one-on-one networking and stakeholder discussions.
Building on years of success, Lagos Tech Fest once again proved itself as a premier catalyst for game-changing introductions, connecting entrepreneurs with investors, customers, top talent, and potential partners, while fostering mentorship, dealmaking, and M&A opportunities.
UrbanGeekz Reporter, Stephen Oluwadara at Lagos Tech Fest
An attendee, Emmanuel Amadi, said on social media, “I went to Lagos Tech Fest 2026 expecting inspiration. I left thinking about systems that scale. Ideas are easy. Systems are hard. Trust, security, and reliability must be engineered. Scalable growth comes from disciplined architecture, data, and processes. Products fail not for lack of ideas but for lack of production-ready engineering.”
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Another attendee, Adefusi Olorode, said, “I spent two days at Lagos Tech Fest — and here’s what stood out. Beyond the panels and keynote speeches, what really mattered were the conversations in between. The side discussions about AI governance. The debates about startup security maturity. The honest talks about scaling without losing control. One thing became clear: Africa’s tech ecosystem is growing fast. But growth without governance is fragile…”
