Afrigather The Abuja tech ecosystem, the second most popular in Nigeria after Lagos, has witnessed regular development lately. The ecosystem now boasts 72 startups and about 20 ecosystem entities, together with accelerators, incubators, and hubs.
Whereas this quantity is a drop within the pool in comparison with extra superior ecosystems like Lagos, it’s a testomony to the dedication of some noteworthy people who’ve dedicated to constructing and making certain that it thrives. These are founders who’ve constructed outstanding merchandise, in addition to traders and different stakeholders, who’re offering the framework and group to assist founders in rising their scalable concepts.
This text goals to highlight among the people who find themselves taking part in pivotal roles in shaping the Abuja startup ecosystem.
Listed here are some gamers constructing within the Abuja tech area that it is best to take note of:
Faiz Bashir
Faiz is the cofounder of FlexiSAF, an edtech that gives faculties with software program to streamline administrative and operational processes. FlexiSAF serves about 700 secondary faculties and 70 tertiary establishments by automating their processes and managing college students’ information from enrollment to commencement.
In 2009, whereas finding out for an MSc in Software program Engineering on the College of Know-how, Malaysia, Faiz Bashir established the primary Google Know-how Consumer Group in Africa, laying the muse for what would finally grow to be the biggest developer community throughout the continent. Now, there are over 150 Google Developer Teams(GDGs) in 36 international locations throughout Africa.
Previously 5 years, He has actively participated in mentorship packages for startups and entrepreneurs. He’s at present an Entrepreneur In Residence (EiR) on the Founder Institute, Abuja and has mentored many entrepreneurs since then.
Yemisi Ajeojo-Isidi
Yemisi is the co-founder of Triift Africa, an organization that gives monetary and advisory assist to companies throughout Africa, particularly women-owned companies.
She has partnered with a number of accelerators and incubators together with The Future Females Enterprise Faculty and She Leads Africa Program, the place she has been concerned in enabling entry to over $1m in funding for feminine founders and different entrepreneurs throughout 6 African international locations.
Yemisi is enthusiastic about serving to younger folks make the most of the chance that expertise offers and can be the founding father of Ilorin Digital Summit, a social enterprise that she based lower than a 12 months after transferring again to Nigeria in 2017. With the summit, Yemsi helps younger enterprise homeowners leverage digital instruments to develop their companies.
Cynthia E. Chisom
From organising a Startup Competitors in 2016 whereas at Covenant College, Cynthia is now a founder and startup advisor. Previously ten years, she has labored with organizations like CCHub, Futurize, and Inqumax Incubator, amongst others, to assist early-stage founders strategise and execute their concepts.
Cynthia is passionate in regards to the function of collaboration in fostering development and is the founding father of The Enablers Meetup (Abuja), a group the place stakeholders who assist founders inside the Abuja startup ecosystem can meet to collaborate.
Cynthia has a Grasp’s diploma in Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Administration from Imperial Enterprise Faculty, London, and is at present the Vice President of Spark Africa HQ, the startup and expertise aggregator behind Africa Startup Pageant.
Surayyah Ahmad
Surayyah Ahmad is a seasoned entrepreneur and enterprise capitalist. She based TechTankLabs, an accelerator that gives early-stage founders, particularly within the north, with funding and different sources to construct and develop their startups.
Surayyah has a level in Economics from the College of London, and one other in Enterprise Administration from Hertfordshire College. Earlier than TTLabs, Surayyah ran an e-commerce startup YDS in London, the place they partnered with numerous manufacturers together with constructing Miniso’s first on-line retailer in 2020.
In November, Surayyah launched Aduna Capital, a $20 million fund that’s focused at early-stage founders throughout Africa, with a deal with ladies and northern Nigeria. Surayyah Ahmad believes within the potential of the northern Nigerian tech ecosystem and is enthusiastic about offering founders with the sources to construct scalable startups.
Adedeji Owonibi
Adedeji Owonibi is the founding father of blockchain options firm, Convexcity Tech.
One of many firm’s merchandise, CHAT is focused at monitoring palliative distribution and assist disbursement throughout the nation, and up to now, the corporate has partnered with NGOs just like the Crimson Cross and UNICEF, in addition to the French Authorities on this.
Adedeji has an MSc in Forensic Audit and Accounting from the College of South Wales and one other in Forensics Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies from Montpellier Enterprise Faculty. He’s dedicated to utilizing blockchain to fight crimes like cash laundering, the darkish internet and terrorism financing.
Hadiyyah L.
Hadiyyah is a passionate entrepreneur who has an extended historical past of constructing software program for well being amenities in Abuja.
Hadiyyah is a Enterprise Analyst at PennPromise Ventures, a enterprise capital firm that’s seeking to drive development in middle-market economies in Africa. At PennPromise, Hadiyyah works with a number of entrepreneurs to make sure that their companies and startups obtain sustainable development.
She can be the co-founder of Path4her, an initiative that gives assist for younger ladies seeking to pivot into low-code and no-code careers in tech.
Amal Hassan
Amal Alhassan is the founding father of Outsource International, a contact centre enterprise course of outsourcing(BPO) firm. In 10 years, she has efficiently constructed her firm from an IT coaching centre to one of many largest outsourcing firms in Africa, using over 1500 folks, and establishing Nigeria as a prime vacation spot for BPO.
Amal has an MSc in Enterprise Administration from Bayero College, Kano and is enthusiastic about serving to folks, particularly ladies, grow to be digitally literate and area within the expertise growth. Her workforce consists of fifty% ladies.
Farida Kabir
Farida is a development and coverage professional who has labored extensively on the intersection of ICT and coverage. She was CEO of OTRAC, a startup which develops enterprise software program techniques for the Nigerian healthcare sector, the place she oversaw the startup’s $200,000 pre-seed increase to increase system operations in Nigeria and South Africa. She proceeded to the World Financial institution Group the place managed the Digital Identification System undertaking.
Farida is now the group head of development and model at Sudo Africa, a fast-growing funds startup in Abuja.
