The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has opened applications for its GITEX Nigeria 2025 Regional Roadshow, a national tour designed to discover and showcase the country’s most promising tech startups ahead of the GITEX Nigeria 2025 innovation festival.
Scheduled to hold between June and August 2025, the roadshow will stop in six cities—Lagos, Enugu, Uyo (Akwa Ibom), Abuja, Gombe, and Kano—each representing one of Nigeria’s geopolitical zones. Selected startups from these zones will earn the opportunity to represent their region at GITEX Nigeria 2025, which takes place in Abuja from September 1 to 4.
NITDA described the roadshow as a platform to uncover bold, local innovators solving real problems with scalable technologies. The agency is calling on early-stage and growth-stage startups, especially those already registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) or currently undergoing registration, to apply.
Eligible sectors for the competition include HealthTech, AgriTech, FinTech, Artificial Intelligence (AI), EdTech, ClimateTech, and CreativeTech.
Shortlisted startups will be invited to pitch their solutions live during the zonal roadshows. Winners from each zone will receive full sponsorship to exhibit at the GITEX Nigeria 2025 Startup Festival in Abuja. There, they will present their solutions before a high-level jury comprising ecosystem leaders, investors, and policymakers.
In addition to exhibition space, selected startups will benefit from national exposure, networking opportunities with hubs, media, and policymakers, and a potential pipeline into GITEX Global Dubai—one of the world’s largest and most influential tech expos.
The application process is fully digital, and interested startups are encouraged to complete a self-nomination form online. Shortlisted applicants will pitch in person at the nearest regional roadshow event.
GITEX Nigeria is modeled after GITEX Global, the Dubai-based international tech showcase that has run annually since 1981. Nigeria’s consistent participation in the global event inspired NITDA to localize the experience, creating a platform for indigenous startups to access investment, gain visibility, and connect with global markets.
Through the GITEX Nigeria Regional Roadshow, NITDA aims to foster innovation-driven entrepreneurship and position Nigerian startups for both national and international growth.
