It brings together thought leaders, inventors, innovators, and other key players in the technology sector, making it one of the most significant gathering spots on the globe.

Over 10,000 investors from across the world attended the GITEX Global 2022 event, which also provided entrepreneurs with over 25,000 leads for investment meetings and partnership opportunities.

In previous years, participants would have had to travel to Dubai to compete in the tournament for a chance to win $200,000 in funding and a mentorship prize.

But on the 12th of May 2022, the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX), in partnership with the Lagos State Government (LSG) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), organized the pitch event in Lagos at the Eko Innovation Centre.

The judges at the pitch event were; Akeem Hassan, Technical Assistant to Lagos State State Governor on Innovation and Technology; Tunbosun Alake, the special adviser to the Governor on Innovation and Technology; Segun Cole, Co-founder Fund the Gap Alliance; Amos Udok, Representative NITDA; Ireayo Oladunjoye, Head, of Startups Lagos state employment Trust fund; Oguntade Adeseye, Unit head, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship ONDI, and Olorunnisomo Olaoluwa Co-Founder, Seedbuilders Innovation and Foundation, which had about twenty-seven (27) startups pitch their ideas.

Two Nigerian technology start-ups, Paddy Cover and Pricepally.com emerged winners and received from Dubai World Trade Centre an all-expenses paid trip to Dubai to compete in the tournament for a chance to win $200,000 in funding and a mentorship reward.

The two winners, Paddy Cover and PricePally, will be joined by thirteen (13) additional teams for a complete, all-expenses-paid opportunity to compete in GITEX, making the total delegation from Lagos State fifteen (15) startups, the largest in the history of the Lagos State Government.

The list of the thirteen (13) additional startups includes: truQ, Quadloop, and Imperial EdTech, which are the second, third, and fourth-place finishers in the GITEX Lagos State pitch session; Wellness Health Technologies, D’Aggregate, and LiveBic, which are currently enrolled in the EIC acceleration program; AppZone, Kodobe, Farmz2U, Cdial, RxAll Inc, Curacel, and Evolvestack.

Five (5) out of the fifteen (15) startups supported by the Lagos State Government advanced to the semifinals of the competition. Paddycover, Pricepally, LiveBic, Wellness Health Technologies, and Evolvestack are the startups.

Supernova Challenge is the biggest pitch competition in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, where Startups have opportunity to become the next unicorn, with upto $200,000 in cash prizes up for grabs.

As officially announced by North Star Dubai on their website, the Startups are; IdentityPass, 9JaCodeKids Academy, Floews, Medtech, Paddycover, Pricepally, LiveBic, Technyon Technologies, and Wellness Health Technologies.

Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, while inaugurating the Nigerian pavilion, commended the Startups that have so far scaled the competition’s preliminary stages, and expressed confidence in the ability of the team to progress to the finals and hopefully clinch the ultimate prize. 

Prof. Pantami said, “Each and every year, Nigeria has been attending the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition GITEX because of its enormous benefits; these benefits are many, critical among them is attracting foreign direct investment”.

Accompanied by the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, The Executive Vice-chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC), Engr Aliyu Aziz and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Muhammed Bello Abubakar as well as some Nigerian private ICT entrepreneurs, the Minister expressed delight in the highest number of startups at the 2022 GITEX.

“We have recorded significant milestones and great accomplishments in our bid to drive Nigeria’s economy digitally and our modest successes are verifiable”.

According to Professor Pantami, the federal government, in the last three years launched several programmes, policies and initiatives that are entrenching the trust between the tech ecosystem and the government towards strengthening the Nigerian digital economy sector.

Kashifu Inuwa, the Director-General of NITDA also shared same optimism with the Minister as he noted that the Nigerian team will ace the competition and once again place the country on the global map.

Inuwa urged the tech innovators to ensure they also learn, unlearn and relearn by participating in other sideline events and conferences in order to build the necessary networks to add value to their craft.

GITEX Global 2022 is a meeting point for technology professionals and enthusiasts. The event is a thrust for the Global Startup Movement attracting world’s biggest technology mentors, angel investors and venture capitalists.

Nigerian startups are showcasing their innovative ideas to the world, interacting with other startups from different parts of Asia, Africa and Europe; luring investors to come to Nigeria and invest money in the country’s fast growing Digital economy.