A decade ago, angel investing in Africa was still finding its footing. Today, it’s a movement, and at the heart of that movement is the Africa Business Angel Network (ABAN).
To celebrate 10 years of building the continent’s early-stage investment ecosystem, ABAN will host its Annual Congress 2025 in Lagos, Nigeria, the beating heart of Africa’s innovation capital.
Under the bold theme “Accelerating Local Capital Participation,” the two-day Congress will bring together a dynamic mix of investors, policymakers, startup founders, fund managers, and ecosystem enablers to chart a future where Africa funds Africa.
A Decade of Impact, A Future of Possibility
Since its inception in 2015, ABAN has mobilised over $35 million in early-stage investments and nurtured a pan-African community of more than 5,000 business angel investors spanning 37 African countries and the diaspora.
But the 2025 Congress is not just a celebration, it’s a strategic inflection point.
“Africa’s greatest resource is its people, and their willingness to invest in one another,” said Yemi Keri, president of ABAN. “This Congress is not about looking back. It’s about looking forward with boldness, intention, and action.”
Four Strategic Pillars Driving the 2025 Congress Agenda:
- Scaling Local & Diaspora Participation: Unlocking domestic and diaspora capital to fuel inclusive innovation and keep value creation on the continent.
- Sector-Focused Investment: Prioritising high-growth sectors like agritech, fintech, health-tech, cleantech, AI, edtech, sports, and the creative economy.
- Policy Advocacy: Advancing enabling policies that de-risk early-stage investing and increase investor confidence.
- Cross-Border Syndication: Strengthening pan-African investment networks to enable smarter syndication and shared deal flow across regions.
Why Lagos? Why Now?
As Africa’s fastest-growing startup ecosystem, Nigeria, and Lagos in particular, has shown the world what happens when local capital meets local ingenuity.
Hosting the Congress in Lagos sends a clear message: African investors must lead the charge in shaping Africa’s innovation economy.
Voices from the Vanguard
“We’ve seen how local capital transforms ecosystems by backing underrepresented founders and building solutions for local problems,” said Fadilah Tchoumba, CEO of ABAN.
“It’s time to scale what works—through smarter syndication, policy innovation, and investor education. This Congress is where that vision takes flight.”
What to Expect at ABAN Congress 2025
🔹 High-Level Keynotes & Fireside Chats
🔹 Startup Showcases & Pitch Rounds
🔹 Thematic Investment Panels (Health, AI, Climate Resilience, Digital Trade, etc.)
🔹 Roundtable Strategy Labs for policy and syndication innovation
🔹 Catalytic Africa 2.0 Launch – A new investment vehicle for diaspora-local syndication
🔹 Release of the ABAN Angel Investment Report 2025
🔹 ABAN Gala Awards Ceremony – Honouring trailblazers in Africa’s angel investing movement
A Call to Action: Africa Must Fund Africa
The 2025 Congress represents more than a milestone, it’s a catalytic platform to align capital with purpose, connect pan-African strategies, and activate the next generation of angel investors.
“This is not the time to sit on the sidelines,” said Keri. “Africa’s future will be built by Africans who believe in it, and who back that belief with capital, courage, and collaboration.”
📩 Get Involved
- For partnerships and participation: secretariat@abanangels.org
- For media inquiries and interviews: amimo@abanangels.org
🔗 Visit ABAN’s Website to explore membership, networks, and investment opportunities.
