The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Alami Capital, in partnership with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), have officially launched The LaunchPad, a venture-building platform designed to scale Africa’s most promising women-led startups.
The initiative, which will have a dedicated zone within the GITEX Nigeria showcase, is a structural market intervention aimed at addressing the chronic under-capitalisation of women-owned enterprises.
While women own 27% of businesses in Africa and contribute 13% of GDP, they secure only 7% of total venture capital funding.
“Who gets funded determines what gets built, and what gets built will define the economic future of Africa,” said Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of NITDA. “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.”
The LaunchPad will channel $250,000 in catalytic capital into five ventures selected after GITEX Nigeria. Each startup will receive between $25,000 and $50,000, coupled with equity investment, regulatory guidance, and mentorship designed to prepare them for long-term growth.
What distinguishes The LaunchPad is its design. Unlike grant-only models such as the Cartier Women’s Initiative, or accelerators with limited follow-up, this platform integrates equity investment, regulatory de-risking, and structured pathways to scale.
At GITEX Nigeria 2025, The LaunchPad by NITDA and Alami zone will feature multiple touchpoints. These include a Funding Pavilion showcasing high-potential women-led ventures, Capital Readiness Clinics where founders engage directly with investors, and a Fireside for Scale, a dialogue on market expansion and IPO readiness.
The event will also host the ‘To the Stars’ Bell Activation, a symbolic ringing of the bell with the SEC and women founders to mark the rise of women in Africa’s capital markets.
“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 rigour,” said Amina Oyagbola, founding partner at Alami Capital.
“Our mission is to shift capital flows, transform investment behaviour, and unlock Africa’s full innovation potential.”
