Nigerian LaunchPad Initiative To Invest In Black Women
August 28, 2025
GITEX Startup Festival 2025 in Nigeria is set to elevate African Black women entrepreneurs by introducing The LaunchPad.
GITEX Startup Festival 2025 in Nigeria is set to elevate African Black women entrepreneurs by introducing The LaunchPad.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Alami Capital, and Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission are introducing The LaunchPad. The platform is multilayered and designed to support women-led startups. It offers visibility, capital, and strategic mentorship at the event on Sept. 3–4 in Lagos.
The LaunchPad features a Funding Pavilion that will showcase technology ventures and more. Fireside for Scale talks with African CEOs and global investors can be found at the festival, as well as Capital Readiness Clinics to refine business funding pitches.
There will be a symbolic bell-ringing ceremony called To the Stars. The event celebrates the growing influence of women in Africa’s markets. After the forum, $250,000 will be awarded to five selected startups. Furthermore, mentorship, regulatory support, and access to investor networks are available.
NITDA Director, Gen. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, spoke about the strategic importance of inclusive financing.
“Who gets funded determines what gets built, and what gets built will define the economic future of Africa. The LaunchPad ensures women founders are not just part of the conversation but central to Africa’s innovation economy. Closing this funding gap for women is not charity, it’s one of the smartest bets we can make for Africa’s future,” Abdullahi said.
Alami Capital’s CEO, Olu Olufemi-White, said, “As an investor, I witness the economics of exclusion every day. This is about building a vetted, investable pipeline of women-led ventures grounded in institutional rigor. Our mission is to shift capital flows, transform investment behavior, and unlock Africa’s full innovation potential.”
Across Africa, women appear as business owners in nearly 27% of enterprises and contribute roughly 13% of the continent’s GDP. However, they receive just 7% of venture capital investment, according to Conference and Meetings World.
The LaunchPad is set to transform the Startup Festival from a showcase into a mechanism for growth. That growth will empower women founders with the resources, networks, and visibility.
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