He made this known today, Thursday, December 4, at the ongoing Art of Technology Lagos 7.0, holding at the Landmark Event Centre.

Themed “Future Technologies & a Sustainable Lagos”, AOT Lagos 7.0 marks seven years of bringing together the city’s full innovation ecosystem, including founders, developers, entrepreneurs, financiers, academia, and policy-makers. 

Over those years the state has built a solid and broad infrastructure. “We are the de facto IT department for Lagos State,” Alake said, “managing connectivity, data centres, ERP systems, smart-city implementation, and driving public-service digitisation through government.”

Among the State’s achievements he disclosed that between 2019 and 2024, Lagos-based tech startups attracted over $6 billion in funding, representing more than 70% of Nigeria’s total tech investment inflows. 

Alake said that today the ecosystem is roughly valued at $15.3 billion, with Lagos accounting for 80–90% of the country’s startups, making it “the largest startup concentration on the continent.”

He explained how the state government is supporting this boom. Through Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC), more than 75 startups have been funded, and over 85 research and development initiatives across four to five major universities are currently supported. 

Some of these initiatives have already produced commendable results, including research patents and spin-off companies in areas like climate resilience, green energy, agritech and construction tech.

In addressing infrastructure, Alake disclosed that Lagos now has about 15,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cables, having expanded connectivity by roughly 500 km per year on average. 

This fibre backbone supports public schools, hospitals, government buildings and businesses, a foundation for a truly digital Lagos.

On the public-service side, Alake pointed to the success of the Lagos State Digital Service Portal, launched at last year’s AOT. The portal has recorded over 50,000 unique visitors in the past 60 days alone, enabling citizens to file taxes, apply for planning permits or digital identity, and access other government services online. 

He said work is underway to enhance the portal into a unified gateway for all citizen and business services.

At AOT 7.0, Alake also announced the forthcoming Lagos Innovation Bill, a legal and regulatory framework designed to embed innovation in the state’s economic DNA. 

Once passed, the Bill will, among other things, require large companies in sectors such as telecoms, energy and infrastructure to collaborate with universities and research institutions when seeking solutions. 

For example, building local capacity to design base stations rather than importing equipment.

By 2030, Lagos plans to increase the contribution of IT and innovation to the state economy by 100%, and stimulate a 50% rise in scientific research and invention directed at solving Lagos-specific challenges. 

Alake said, “If you have a technical problem, Lagos is the place to solve it,” stressing that this vision requires “coordination, collaboration, and all of us, working hard, putting aside differences, and moving on shared vision.” 

He called on everyone in the ecosystem, including the government, private sector, academia, investors, and citizens, to contribute.

The ultimate goal is to make innovation a permanent feature of Lagos’ economic and social life.

The session, which took place at the Marriott Hotel, Ikeja, was attended by a cross-section of critical stakeholders from the technology and innovation ecosystem.

The event marked a continuation of a broader series of engagements that the Ministry has hosted over time to co-create the Innovation Bill, which seeks to provide a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework to power the development of science, technology, and innovation in Lagos.

At this latest session, the Ministry presented a refined draft of the bill to key actors across the ecosystem, opening the floor for dialogue, critique, and suggestions as part of an inclusive process to ensure the bill is not only fit for purpose but also owned by the community it intends to serve.

Mr. Olatunbosun Alake, the commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, who delivered the keynote presentation, provided both historical and philosophical context to the bill.

Citing global case studies—including the evolution of Silicon Valley—he explained that Lagos must adopt a structured, intentional approach to innovation that moves beyond pilot projects and scattered initiatives.

“If we are serious about building an innovation economy, then we must create systems that allow ideas to become inventions, inventions to become startups, and startups to scale into global businesses. That pipeline must be enabled by law,” Alake stated.

He added that following up on the Nigerian startup Act, The Lagos Innovation bill seeks to additionally cover the full spectrum of the innovation pipeline, including the universities , industries etc.

“This bill goes beyond startups,” Alake explained. “It covers knowledge institutions, research and development, digital infrastructure, innovation funding, and the legal frameworks to protect ideas and attract investment. It is our attempt to design a Lagos-specific framework that can scale innovation and institutionalize progress.”

Alake also stressed that the proposed law is designed to catalyze inclusive growth by ensuring that innovation is not limited to elite enclaves or big tech companies but reaches students, grassroots innovators, and underserved communities.

“If innovation is to be meaningful, it must be democratized,” he said. “That means providing access, funding, training, and regulatory support to everyone—from the university researcher in Epe to the agritech startup in Ikorodu. That’s what this bill aims to do.”

Earlier, while welcoming participants to the session, Engr. Mrs. Ibilola Kasunmu, permanent secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, emphasized the government’s commitment to participatory policy development and urged stakeholders to provide specific, actionable input:

“This session is not just about telling you what the bill says. It is about asking you: does this work for your context? Will this structure enable innovation, or will it stifle it?”

She said:

“We believe policy must be driven by those who live in the ecosystem. You are the people who understand the bottlenecks, the regulatory frictions, and the investment gaps. That’s why we are here—not just to talk, but to listen, learn, and improve.”

Mrs. Kasunmu noted that the Lagos Innovation Bill is envisioned as a foundational law that will support the state’s ambition to become Africa’s undisputed innovation capital, complementing the Nigeria Startup Act at the federal level while addressing the specific dynamics and needs of Lagos’ fast-evolving tech and knowledge economy.

Delivering a goodwill message, Joel Ogunshola, a respected ecosystem leader and founder of Tech for Tech, praised the Ministry for its sustained engagement on the bill and described the initiative as “visionary and timely.”

“What Lagos is trying to do with this bill is not to reinvent the wheel,” Ogunshola said. “Rather, it is to customize the wheel so that it actually works on our roads. This is not just a tech bill; it is an economic growth framework. It’s about unlocking prosperity, innovation, and talent at a scale we’ve never seen before.”

He highlighted the limitations of national policies that often fail to reflect local realities and argued that sub-national legislation is essential to bridge the gap between ambition and execution. Ogunshola added that the bill presents a critical opportunity to enshrine legal protections and incentives that support not just startups, but also researchers, capital providers, and innovation enablers.

Following the commissioner’s keynote, legal practitioner and adviser to the Ministry, Mr. Alex Adedipe, took stakeholders through the key sections of the draft bill.

The engagement then transitioned into breakout sessions, with attendees divided into clusters. Each group analyzed relevant sections of the bill and submitted feedback, which was collated and presented during the plenary.

Closing the session, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Broadband and Technology, Engr. Ganiyu Oseni, expressed the State Government’s appreciation for the active participation and high-quality feedback received from the session.

He reiterated the State Government’s commitment to ensuring that the final draft of the bill reflects the collective wisdom of the ecosystem and assured stakeholders that more engagements will follow as the bill moves closer to legislative approval.

The event brought together key players from across sectors to deliberate on the proposed Lagos Innovation Policy Bill, a groundbreaking legislation that promises to catalyze innovation and foster an enabling environment for technological advancement.

The event, chaired by Mr. Olatubosun Alake, the commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, was an avenue for co-creation and collaboration, a move that has been variously been described as Lagos State Government’s commitment to an inclusive and participatory approach to policymaking.

Among the stakeholders present at the occasion are Adaora Ikenze – Director, Public Policy, Meta; Prof. Peter Bamkole – COO, Pan Atlantic University and LASRIC Member; Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho – founder, Futuresoft; LASRIC and Alex-Adedipe Adeleke – DOA Law, among others.

In his opening remarks, the honourable commissioner emphasized the important role of Lagos State in driving innovation investment in Nigeria and indeed, Africa, noting that approximately 70 to 80 percent of innovation funding flows into the state.

He stressed the urgency of establishing a robust policy framework that encourages continuous innovation investment and drives Lagos to the forefront of the digital revolution.

“This is because it can encourage or discourage continuous innovation investment in the state. Today’s engagement is in line with driving an innovation policy framework,” he said.

The commissioner also took his time to inundate all present with some of the initiatives of Ministry, as well as projects aimed at driving Lagos to the forefront of the digital revolution.

This includes the MetroFibre Project, a massive digital infrastructure undertaking that will deploy 3,000 kilometers of optic fiber and optic fiber ducts across the state.

He also highlighted the Safe City Project, which leverages intelligent video cameras to enhance security and create a safer environment for businesses to thrive.

Furthermore, the commissioner shed light on the ongoing construction of a state-of-the-art Tier 3 data center in partnership with the private sector, the digitization of government services to enhance efficiency and transparency, and the state’s unwavering commitment to cybersecurity through the establishment of a Cybersecurity Operations Center (CSOC) and capacity-building initiatives for local IT professionals.

Victor Afolabi, Chief Executive Officer of the Eko Innovation Centre, in his welcome address, emphasized the significance of the stakeholder engagement as a co-creation event, where collective deliberation would shape the regulatory incentives and create an inclusive innovation ecosystem.

He commended the commissioner’s vision and commitment to advancing innovation in Lagos State, describing the state as the innovation engine room of the country and a globally recognized hub for innovation.

The highly engaging and robust stakeholder engagement witnessed active participation from government agencies, the private sector, development agencies, and other key stakeholders.

The event featured five breakout sessions, where participants made actionable recommendations and proffered realistic solutions to contribute to the framework of the proposed Lagos Innovation Bill.