Thousands of entrepreneurs, creatives and investors from across Northern Nigeria gathered recently at the Arewa Festival 2025, highlighting the region’s cultural richness and growing economic promise while reinforcing investor confidence in northern-led enterprises.
Participants at the festival agreed that Northern Nigeria holds vast, largely untapped opportunities across sectors, particularly in entrepreneurship, culture, agriculture and the creative economy. Investors at the event pledged continued support for resilient entrepreneurs in the region, noting that scaling local businesses remains critical to job creation, wealth generation and long-term poverty reduction.
The managing director of the Global Entrepreneurship Network Nigeria, Olawale Anifowose, described the festival as a strategic milestone in efforts to drive inclusive economic growth and cultural revitalisation in the region. He said the platform was created to unlock new opportunities for entrepreneurs and creatives while strengthening links between local businesses and potential investors.
According to Anifowose, the success of the Arewa Festival has reinforced plans to make it an annual event, positioning it as a consistent marketplace and idea-exchange hub for Northern Nigeria’s business and creative ecosystems.
The festival also attracted high-level participation from local and international stakeholders, including the Czech Republic’s ambassador to Nigeria, Tomas Vyprechticky, and the managing director of Sanef Limited, Uche Uzoebo, who shared perspectives on investment opportunities and the region’s long-term economic outlook. Their contributions focused on the importance of partnerships, infrastructure and youth-driven innovation in unlocking sustainable growth.
Convened by Tripoint Academy for Tourism and Enterprise Development in partnership with the Global Entrepreneurship Network Lagos, the festival drew more than 30,000 attendees from across the 19 northern states. It featured a vibrant marketplace where entrepreneurs showcased products and services, alongside masterclasses on entrepreneurship, cultural exhibitions, fashion showcases and performances that celebrated northern heritage.
A key highlight of the event was the launch of AREWATECH, a long-term development initiative designed to activate competitive agricultural value chains, improve inter-state and cross-border trade and strengthen youth employment and entrepreneurship across the region. Stakeholders said the initiative aligns with broader efforts to position Northern Nigeria as a hub for agribusiness, trade and youth-led innovation.
Experts at the festival said Arewa Festival 2025 has set a new benchmark for combining economic development with cultural promotion in Northern Nigeria. With plans underway to expand the festival to other parts of the country and deepen the implementation of AREWATECH, they said the momentum created could translate into sustained growth for small businesses, creatives and investors operating in the region.
