Held on Thursday, November 20, at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, the event convened government leaders, founders, investors, creators, technologists and policy makers to map out what tomorrow could look like for Ogun’s fast-growing innovation sector. 

The summit, now in its sixth edition, has become the largest annual gathering of youth and digital talent in the state.

A Summit Framed by Urgency and Opportunity

The Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Engr. Naimat Salako-Oyedele, described the digital economy as “the backbone of modern development” She stressed that young people are central to the state’s growth strategy.

She described how Ogun has spent the past few years laying the foundations for a thriving technology ecosystem: “We have been intentional here in Ogun state about creating the right environment for technology to flourish.” 

She pointed out the transformation of the Ogun Tech Hub; partnerships with innovation clusters; and new international collaborations, including the Window America initiative, which provides workshops and learning opportunities for young people.

The Deputy Governor also announced the newly commissioned NCC Koba Centre, already training youths in AI engineering, cloud computing and data technologies. According to her, its location in Ogun is “not accidental… It reflects the confidence that national institutions and private partners have in our talent base.” 

But she also warned, “We must not work in silos. We need more coordination, more shared learning and more deliberate linkages between state programs, federal initiatives, private sector projects, university research and community-based ecosystem.” 

A Federal Perspective: Nigeria Must Create, Not Just Consume

Representing the Presidency, Tobi Matthew, director of the PBAT Media Centre, gave a statement reinforcing the federal government’s position on digital acceleration growth.

He noted, “Nigeria must not only consume technology, we must create it and also export it.” 

He outlined three pillars of a functional digital ecosystem, policy, governance and partnership, and emphasised the administration’s focus on reforms that ease doing tech business, expand broadband access and strengthen global partnerships.

According to him, summits like Ogun’s bridge government and the tech community by helping “co-create policies that work in the real world.” 

Legislative Power Meets Tech Vision

The summit received a strong policy perspective from Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, who announced that the long-awaited National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill would soon be signed into law.

The bill, he explained, will compel ministries and agencies to digitise operations: “They are all compared, not as a matter of option. They are compared to digital patients.” 

He described how digital signatures and electronic documents would gain full legal recognition, removing long-standing limitations for startups and online businesses. The Senator called the summit “the largest gathering of youth in Ogun state… gathered for empowerment that truly empowers.” 

Founders and Innovators Urged to Build for Ogun, Not Just From It

Summit Convener Victor Adeleye returned to a central problem; retention. Although many celebrated Nigerian startups originated from Ogun institutions, most relocate to Lagos. He challenged young innovators to stay and build where they were trained.

“The tech skill is not the destination, it’s just the beginning.” 

He added that more than 7,500 talents have been supported since 2020, and that the state is now spotlighting revenue-generating startups built locally.

PaidHR’s Seye Bandele Urges Founders to Build for Africa’s Realities, Not Imported Playbooks

Seye Bandele, co-founder & CEO of PaidHR, told young founders that Africa is in its own “printing-press moment”, a turning point impacted by AI, rapid information flow and a high youth population.

He drew parallels between Gutenberg’s invention and today’s technology wave, stressing that the tools being built now will affect the next 100 years of African innovation.

Seye warned that founders must build with Africa’s realities in mind; weak infrastructure, low internet access and high volatility, not imported frameworks. He urged them to design products that work offline, handle currency swings, embed trust from day one and collect data intentionally.

He also emphasised that Africa’s population surge makes the continent the world’s next major market, and those building today must think in decades, not sprints. For him, progress comes from solving real problems and adapting global ideas to local context.

“You may not see the full impact, but what you build today is what the next generation will inherit.”

Microsoft’s Damila Rashu, lead for AI and Cloud, reiterated the global relevance of Ogun’s emerging talent pool and encouraged founders to join Microsoft’s startup programmes.

“Hopefully, in a few months, a few years down the line, we will have our own global unicorns right here in Ogun state.” 

Earlier, Bola Akindele, group managing director of Courteville Business Solutions Plc, recalled the evolution of his own company and the importance of domain understanding, using examples from his early academic journey.

Messan to Founders: “Traction Is Your Number One De-Risker”

David Lanre Messan, chief venture builder at FirstFounders, explained that most struggles with fundraising come from poor positioning, not lack of ideas.

He stressed that “every investor has an investment thesis,” urging founders to first identify whether they are at the idea, product or revenue stage before approaching anyone.

Messan noted that early-stage success depends on validation and real market demand, noting that “you cannot build anything without automatic demand.” He closed with an insight that investors respond to proof, not promises: “traction is your number one de-risker.”

Dr Solomon King: The Power of Diaspora Capital

From the Lagos Angel Network, Dr Solomon King presented a startling economic context: “17 million Nigerians live in the diaspora, and those 17 million people push back home to Nigeria, 20 billion US dollars on average per year.” 

He argued that this flow of capital, coupled with Ogun’s youth base, positions the region for outstanding investment if structures stay consistent.

Community Leadership: Ogun Tech Community’s Stand

President of the Ogun Tech Community, Adekunle Durosinmi, commended the summit for becoming a reference point. “We have seen the ecosystem growing stronger, more connected, more impactful.” 

He urged attendees to “disrupt Google”, amplify Ogun’s tech story online, and enhance collaboration instead of isolation.

Inspirational Close: What Will You Build?

One of the most memorable reflections at Ogun Digital Summit 2025 came from a keynote speaker who linked today’s creators to historical innovators: “Your code, your content, your companies are the real printing presses of this generation.” 

The challenge was, “What infrastructure are you going to build today that the people of tomorrow will inherit from you?” 

PANEL SESSION HIGHLIGHTS

Panel Session 1: The Creative Economy

Key Highlights

• Defined the creative economy as the movement of goods and services within creative industries.
• Identified various creative sectors, including music, storytelling, photography, design, YouTube content, branding, and cinematography.
• Discussed the role of storytelling and its relevance to audience engagement.
• Raised matters about content creators ignoring policy updates that directly benefit them, including tax reforms and IP protection.
• Emphasised that Ogun has the strongest environment for creative-tech talent development.
• Called for more platforms that highlight policies affecting creators.

Fireside Chat: Journey from Zero to 1 Billion

Key Highlights

• Speakers discussed realistic planning for market size and expansion.
• Warned founders against exaggerated market assumptions that harm investor confidence.
• Emphasised calculating total addressable market (TAM) within one’s region before expanding.
• Explained the investment committee process and how risk assessments shape funding decisions.
• Encouraged founders to build strong roadmaps and avoid premature scaling.

Panel Session 2: Policy, Governance and Talent

Key Highlights

• Examined how data governance, digital payments and financial infrastructure affect tech growth.
• Highlighted existing federal and state programmes supporting innovators, including tech hubs and new digital infrastructure.
• Noted the gap between policies and actual adoption by citizens and creators.
• Stressed the need for intentional inclusion of youth-led tech teams in procurement and governance processes.
• Raised issues about low awareness of policy benefits, especially tax reforms.
• Reemphasised the importance of intellectual property protection.
• Asserted that Ogun should become Nigeria’s digital capital due to its youth population and number of tertiary institutions.

Ogun Digital Summit 2025 stressed that Ogun is no longer waiting for inclusion in Nigeria’s digital growth. The state is supplying talent, building institutions, attracting global partners and implementing policy-driven reforms designed to keep innovators rooted at home.

In Nigeria’s digital economy, Ogun State is now one of the country’s strongest engines.

Over the years, the summit has established itself as Ogun State’s foremost technology and innovation gathering, attracting thousands of entrepreneurs, innovators, and business leaders eager to explore the latest digital trends and opportunities shaping Nigeria’s economic future.

Since its inception in 2020, Ogun Digital Summit has grown into a key platform driving digital transformation in Ogun State.  

In previous editions, the summit has hosted over 7,000 youths with industry leaders from both public and private sectors. 

Some past speakers include Engr. Noimot Salako, Deputy Governor of Ogun State; Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of NITDA; Joshua Chibueze, Co-founder of Piggyvest; Mayowa Kuyoro, Partner at McKinsey West Africa; and Joel Ogunsola, Co-founder of Tech4Dev, among other key figures in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem.

The 2025 edition promises a dynamic lineup of world-class speakers, founders, industry leaders, and game-changers who will share their insights and experiences with the over 3,000 attendees expected. 

Confirmed speakers include Abideen Yusuf, Managing Director of Microsoft (Nigeria and Ghana); Seye Bandele, Co-founder of PaidHR; alongside other innovators driving growth in Nigeria’s technology space.

Ogun Digital Summit is organised by Grazac, the leading technology innovation hub in Ogun State in partnership with Ogun State Government through the Bureau of Information Technology. 

Other partners include Prooval, Busha, Faztorder and LandXpress. It is also supported by media partners like Ogun State Television, TechCabal, TechEconomy, Techparley and Legit.ng. 

Ogun State is home to the highest number of tertiary institutions in Nigeria, making it a fertile ground for tech talent and innovation and the summit serves as a catalyst for harnessing this potential by bridging the gap between young innovators and global opportunities.

“This year, beyond engaging in high-quality conversations on building startups in the era of AI, the future of work, impact of blockchain and Web3, Startup Investment, Agrictech for building sustainable economy and the role of policy and governance in driving ecosystem growth, we’ll also be showcasing new innovations emerging from the ecosystem and connecting them with investors,” said Victor Adeleye, the Convener.

Registration for the Ogun Digital Summit 2025 is now open, and stakeholders are encouraged to secure their spot early.

For more information and registration, visit the website.

Reflecting on the growth of the ecosystem since ODS began, Victor noted:

“Since we started in 2020, talents have quadrupled in the ecosystem. We now have a growing number of tech professionals and innovators returning home. Many of them who once worked in Lagos or remotely for companies abroad are now relocating back to Abeokuta, drawn by Ogun’s proximity to Lagos, its stable environment, and the opportunity to live and work in peace.”

According to him, this shift is reshaping the local digital landscape. Ogun’s calm yet connected environment is becoming a magnet for startups and freelancers who want access to both global opportunities and quality of life.

Today, several technology innovation hubs are already making waves in the state. Companies like Grazac, EduTAMS, Tedprime Hub, GetFunded Africa (GFA Technologies), and the newly launched Digital Innovation Park by Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Honourable Minister of Digital Economy, are some of the emerging players driving innovation, creating jobs, and building the digital ecosystem within the State.

“Startups are not just existing; they’re thriving,” Victor emphasized. “The energy is different now, we’re seeing new founders building tech driven solutions emerge every year and some relocating from Lagos to have their office here in Ogun State.

Ogun Digital Summit 2025 continues to fuel this momentum and for this year, there will be conversations around AI & Innovation, AgricTech, Creative Economy, Policy & Governance, Blockchain & Web3, Startup Investment, and Future of Work. This year’s edition is led by Joy Omowaye.

Ogun Digital Summit is proudly organised by Grazac, the leading technology innovation hub in the state and supported by Ogun State Government through Ogun State Bureau of Information Technology (BIT), Busha, Prooval, Faztorder, LandXpress, Techeconomy, Techparley, and Legit.ng, who play a crucial role in amplifying the summit’s reach.

For Victor, the story is only just beginning:

“Tech in Ogun is more than an industry, it’s a movement. What we’re witnessing is the rise of a digital generation grounded in identity, creativity, and purpose. Ogun has the talent, the environment, and now, the platform.”

With that conviction, Ogun Digital Summit continues to stand as both a mirror and a catalyst,  reflecting Ogun’s growth while driving it forward.

Ruby Igwe, country general manager for ALX Nigeria, attended the Akwa Ibom Tech Expo, where she participated in a panel session discussing the topic ‘Leveraging Innovation for Inclusive Growth’. She emphasised the critical role of building an inclusive community encouraging freedom and innovation through tech skills empowerment.

“ALX is an organisation focused on development, providing opportunities for the millions of African and Nigerian youths that make up our community. We recognise the uniqueness of each member of our community and encourage them to be themselves.” Ruby stated. “When we think about innovation we encourage our community members to come from a problem-solving approach. Focusing on the problem and interrogating it with the right data will only lead to coming up with the right solution.”

Nkechi Belinda Idinmachi, fellowship specialist at ALX Nigeria, spoke at the event and highlighted the global talent shortage driven by widespread digital transformation across organizations.

“There is a massive shortage of talent globally with a projected spike of 83 million by 2023. ALX is on a mission to create more opportunities for young Africans, and to date, we have trained over 200,000 young people across Africa. We have mastered training at scale with our infrastructure,” she stated.

Following the Akwa Ibom Tech Week, ALX also had a notable presence at the Ogun Digital Summit, which brought together innovators, industry leaders, and tech enthusiasts from across the country. At both events, participants had the opportunity to engage with the award-winning tech career accelerator and learn about the world-class offerings available within the ALX ecosystem.

From state-of-the-art tech hubs to a vibrant community, and world-class tech programmes, ALX continues to reaffirm its commitment to nurturing the next generation of African leaders. Visit alxafrica.ng to find out more about ALX programmes.

The theme for this year’s summit is “Innovating Beyond Boundaries: Exploring AI and Web3 Evolutionary Impact.”

Ogun Digital Summit is organized by Grazac, the leading technology innovation hub based in Abeokuta focused on youth empowerment, promoting tech entrepreneurship and social innovation.

In the previous edition, the focus was on “Digital Technology: Key to Sustainable Future” where the keynote address was delivered by Kashifu Inuwa, the Director General and CEO of NITDA.

He encouraged the youth to see Tech as the present and the future of today’s world.

“When you talk about innovation and technology, human talents constitute the major components to drive the two, as such, we need universities, institutions and corporate organizations to be part of the system because they play a key role in producing the needed talents that can solve identified problems in society,” Inuwa noted.

In his address last year, he also enumerated efforts of the Federal Government in the areas of Policy-making, creation of enabling Environment, Legislation, Digital Literacy, among others, which he stressed are all geared towards ensuring young innovators and entrepreneurs in the country thrive in their chosen fields.

This year’s event promises to feature keynote speeches from renowned speakers, engaging discussions, masterclass and opportunities for growth and collaboration.

Attendees can expect to learn about the impact of AI and Web3 on the startup ecosystem and future of work, as well as the opportunities and challenges these technologies present.

Victor Adeleye, the convener of Ogun Digital Summit  in a statement said; “There have been a lot of questions on ‘Will artificial intelligence (AI) take our jobs?’, ‘Is the AI and Web3 movement a fad?’, ‘Should content creators rely more on their creative skills to write content or leverage heavily on the use of AI?’ Do you get the drift? These and many more significant questions regarding how AI and Web3 are impacting the lives of Africans will be answered at this year’s edition of Ogun Digital Summit.”

If you want to learn about how AI and Web3 are changing the way we live and work, the opportunities and challenges presented by AI and Web3, and how we can use AI and Web3 to create a more sustainable future, then, you shouldn’t miss this event.

Other opportunities include networking with other attendees and speakers, attending workshops and masterclass sessions for free.

Registration for the summit is now open. Visit https://www.ogundigitalsummit.com/ to register now and reserve a seat for yourself.

Ogun Digital Summit is a great opportunity to learn about the impact of AI and Web3 on the tech ecosystem.

Register today to be part of the evolution

Inuwa said this while giving a keynote address at the summit on the theme: “Digital Technology: Key to Sustainable Future”, encouraging the youths to see Tech as the present and the future of today’s world.

“When you talk about innovation and technology, human talents constitute the major components to drive the two, as such, we need universities, institutions and corporate organizations to be part of the system because they play a key role in producing the needed talents that can solve identified problems the society”, he noted.

Inuwa enumerated efforts of the Federal Government in the areas of policy-making, creation of enabling environment, legislation, digital literacy, among others, which he stressed are all geared towards ensuring young innovators and entrepreneurs in the country thrive in their chosen fields.

“In 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari redesignated the Ministry to cover Digital Economy, what that action entails is that the Federal Government is interested in the strength of your ingenuity and wants you to leverage on Information Technology (IT) for economic prosperity. The action also puts Nigeria on the digital map of the global economy”, he affirmed.  

Inuwa went further to remind the young minds that President Muhammadu Buhari also unveiled the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a Digital Nigeria which is a foundation policy for the digital economy and digital Innovation.

NITDA, on its part, the Director-General pointed out, drafted the Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP), under the supervision of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to help them succeed.

He analysed the seven pillars of the document where he mentioned that the essence of the Digital Literacy and Skills Pillar is to ensure that 95% of Nigerians are digitally inclined, can understand and enjoy digital services.

Inuwa added that the bigger picture is to build the Nation’s digital services in the country and not to buy off-the-shelf services elsewhere, and challenged the youths to think globally while solving local problems.

“The government cannot give everyone seed funds or grants at the same time, which is the reason why you need to think outside the box and have something an investor would be interested in, that way, you would have had the needed funds to grow your products and services without the encumbrances of the sometimes tiring government bureaucracies”, he advised.

The NITDA Boss expressed the hope that some of the participants who were majorly youths of the state will be among the 1 million developers the agency plans to train in 18 months.

“Globally, there is a shortage of talents, so, we are creating a mandate to develop a talent strategy because we have a competitive advantage as a country with our vast human and natural resources. Nigeria can seize the opportunity to fill that gap”, the DG added

The DG further noted that innovation will help in creating a sustainable future for Nigeria and Nigerians.  

“Digital technology provides the source of inspiration for you to be great innovators and solve any problem you can think of”, Inuwa said.

He also observed the world’s growing dependence on technologies to be able to do or  avoid certain things, adding that the data created by the daily activities of humans which are being captured by digital devices can be used to innovate.

“Data is said to be the new oil, but for me, it is more than oil because data is infinite, the more you use it, the more you create it. So, this is an opportunity for you to tap in to it and so we can achieve the sustainable future we seek”, Inuwa maintained.

Inuwa informed the participants that the Start-up Bill which is now a law and to be implemented by NITDA and other relevant agencies will address most, if not all the bottlenecks experienced in the ecosystem.

Acting on the agency’s mandate, the Director General made a commitment of providing a Digital Centre for St. Peters Anglican Primary School, 1 Isara, Remo North, Ogun State.

The participants took turns to share their thoughts and challenges as well as proffered some solutions to the issues discussed during the panel sessions.

The third edition of Ogun Digital Summit which brought together citizens of the state with the aim to connect and encourage inspiration to create new opportunities through innovation had as it’s theme: “DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY-KEY TO SUSTAINABLE FUTURE”.

It was a free event and  about 1,285 people were in attendance excluding the invited guests, speakers and other dignitaries.

Victor Adeleye, the brain behind Ogun Digital Summit, said  “Ogun State has the highest number of tertiary institutions in Nigeria and yet events like this are scarce in the state,  we are starting Ogun Digital Summit because of the need for a platform to facilitate the convergence of great minds and coalescence of groundbreaking ideas that will shape the nation’s digital landscape through engaging discourse and empowerment that push the frontiers of innovation across various spheres of life in Nigeria.”

The theme for this year’s summit was tagged: Digitization of Reality and we had Mr. Dayo Abiodun, Special Assistant to the Governor of Ogun State on ICT, Mrs. Adekunte Olatundun, Director of Bureau of IT, Ogun State, Mr. David Iyang-Etoh, Lead Partner, Startup Innovation Hub, Uyo as our keynote speakers joined with 6 other panelists.

The opening speech was made by Victor Adeleye, the Convener of Ogun Digital Summit and part of his opening words was that, as the world continues to move from an analogue to a digital age, we could improve on the community where people of the state meet to connect, learn and encourage inspirations to create new opportunities through innovation.

For the first panel session, we had Oluwatobi Akinpelu, Team Lead, Mobile Development at Farmcrowdy, Adedamola Adeleye, POS Development Lead at Global Accelerex, Oluwatobi Owolabi, Lead for Google Business Group, Abeokuta and Blessing Abeng, Founder of Einsteinette Limited speak on the topic: “Building a career in tech”. One  key lesson from this session was that “anyone from any background can actually get into tech and the core reason to get into tech should be to solve a problem and see how tech can make our society better”.

Before the second panel session, there was an ice breaker where we had a mini networking session where every participant was opportune to meet with different people, build relationships and also connect with their fellow creatives.

The second panel session was a very interactive one because it spoke about the challenges faced by tech startups within the state. We had Prof. A.A.A Agboola, Director of ICT, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Dayo Abiodun, Special Assistant to the Governor of Ogun State on ICT, Ishola Adebayo, Creative Director of OnlineHub in this session. It was emphasized that Ogun State has the highest number of tertiary institutions in Nigeria and we need to start encouraging our talents to build solutions and address the problems in the State. Dayo Abiodun also said “We are doing all in our capacity as the state government to ensure we provide an enabling environment for startups to thrive”

To round up the event, the convener encouraged everyone in attendance to always look out for opportunities in the digital space with special appreciation to the state government for their support and the volunteering team led by Oluwatobi Kolawole

ODS”20 was indeed an experience and we can’t wait to host you again in 2021! Let’s keep raising the bar! he said.