GITEX 2026: HAMZAT MAKES INVESTMENT CASE FOR LAGOS AS AFRICA’S TECHNOLOGY GATEWAY

• Inuwa Outlines Nigeria’s Vision to Build Africa’s Digital Future
• Why Nigeria Continues to Attract Global Technology Investment- GITEX CEO

By Lukman Oladokun

Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Kadir Obafemi Hamzat, has made a strong case for Lagos as Africa’s premier destination for technology investment, urging global investors, technology firms and innovators to establish long-term operations in the state and use it as a gateway into the continent’s rapidly expanding digital economy.

Speaking on behalf of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at GITEX Nigeria 2026 held at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, Hamzat said the state’s emergence as the host of one of the world’s leading technology exhibitions reflects its growing economic influence, innovation ecosystem and strategic importance to Africa’s future economy.

According to him, the decision to host GITEX in Lagos was not based on goodwill or sentiment, but on the city’s economic strength and growing relevance within the global technology landscape.

“It was not a courtesy extended to us. It was a commercial judgement made about Lagos,” Hamzat said. “We did not earn this event because Lagos is easy. Lagos is not easy. We earned it because Lagos is consequential. What happens in this city sets the direction for this continent.”

The Deputy Governor said Lagos has evolved into one of Africa’s most influential economic hubs, with developments in the state increasingly shaping technology, innovation and investment trends across the continent. He noted that startups founded in Lagos have grown into cross-border businesses operating in sectors such as financial technology, logistics and e-commerce, reinforcing the state’s reputation as a leading innovation ecosystem.