The Summit, which was held from November 12th to 14th, 2025, with the theme “Growing the Pie: Building the Pathways for Liquidity, Scale, and Enduring Returns”, the Summit provided a forum for investors, operators, and other ecosystem players to explore the dynamics shaping Africa’s next decade of capital formation and liquidity.

The three-day Summit attracted stakeholders from key markets, framing the urgency of establishing clear liquidity benchmarks.

Leading executives, including Temi Popoola GMD/CEO, Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) Group Plc, Tosin Eniolorunda, CEO of Moniepoint, Chirantan Patnaik, Director, Venture Capital at British Investment International, and Lexi Novitske, General Partner at Norrsken22, engaged in high-level sessions that scrutinised the true mechanics of scale.

They also tackled systemic barriers to sustained liquidity, assessing policy, regulatory, and operational constraints, including FX restrictions and capital controls.

Kicking off the Summit, Kola Aina, Founding Partner at Ventures Platform, in his open remarks emphasised that Africa stands at a pivotal moment where liquidity (not just capital), is the defining lever for scale.

He noted that closing the continent’s liquidity gap, which is driven by limited exit pathways and underdeveloped acquisition and listing markets, requires building acquisition-ready companies, deepening corporate participation in exits, strengthening listing readiness, and innovating Africa-specific liquidity mechanisms capable of driving long-term, continent-wide prosperity.

In a keynote address, Chirantan Patnaik provided a data-driven analysis of capital flows across Africa’s innovation ecosystem, detailing who is deploying capital, what LPs are seeking, and how fund managers must adapt.

By benchmarking Africa against Latin America and India, he drew parallels in market maturation, exit pathways, and fund dynamics, positioning Africa’s current challenges within a proven global growth curve.

His insights framed ongoing discussions on DPI, sustainability, and institutional readiness throughout the Summit.

Dotun Olowoporoku, managing partner at Ventures Platform, commented on the significance of the Summit,

“We started the Africa Prosperity Summit three years ago not just to host another conversation, but to build alignment around what truly drives growth on the continent. And as this year’s convening showed, unlocking liquidity and scale will require collaboration and trusted intelligence across the ecosystem. The next frontier for Africa will not only be about attracting capital, but also about earning it through transparency, resilience, and consistent performance. We remain committed to providing the platform for these conversations to thrive and drive results.”

Discussions extended beyond conventional equity, exploring venture debt, blended finance, and revenue-based financing as viable instruments for enabling African companies to achieve cross-border scale.

A recurring theme was the need for an authoritative measure of exit performance to inform sustainable investment and policymaking.

Participants also highlighted the importance of harnessing local capital as investment pipelines, strengthening talent management and operational infrastructure, and building robust exit strategies, all critical components for scaling startups and businesses successfully across the continent.

In a fireside chat titled “The Road to a Billion: Raising, Scaling, and Building Trust at Scale”, Dotun Olowoporoku and Tosin Eniolorunda shared insights on what it takes to scale African companies to billion-dollar valuations.

Both industry leaders agreed that sustainable growth in Africa requires a balance of ambition and discipline – combining bold vision with rigorous operational execution, building ecosystems of trust, and leveraging local insights to create businesses that are profitable, resilient, and scalable across borders.

Highlighting the importance of data in investment decisions, the Summit also saw the official launch of the first-ever African Exit Index, presented by Michael Famoroti, head of Research at Stears, Africa’s leading financial data provider.

The Index, a continuously updated, publicly accessible resource, aims to benchmark exit performance and provide investors and policymakers with actionable insights for strategic deployment.

Africa Prosperity Summit, now in its consecutive third year, has continued to serve as the essential platform for translating high-level conversations into the actionable strategies and trusted intelligence required for scalable, long-term prosperity.

This year’s edition was proudly sponsored by G. Elias, Aluko & Oyebode, Iron Capital, and Google for Startups Accelerator Africa. In line with its ecosystem-driven approach, this year’s summit was curated in collaboration with several ecosystem leaders, including AVCA, Algebra Ventures, Miva University, Novastar, Wimbart, 7 Generations Institute, and TLP Advisory.

Quick look:

• 51% of surveyed startups report difficulties in securing funding, with angel investors emerging as a crucial support.
• 30% of founders view regulatory challenges as significant barriers, calling for greater policy engagement.
• One-third of startups form strategic partnerships, highlighting collaboration as a key driver of resilience.

TLP Advisory, the venture law firm headquartered in Lagos, with offices in London and New York  marks ten years of operation with the launch of a new report, “A Decade of the Nigerian Venture Ecosystem: Numbers, Insights & Stories.”

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of Nigeria’s startup landscape, revealing the growth, challenges, and strategic shifts that have defined the ecosystem over the past decade.

Launched in 2014, TLP Advisory has advised over 250 clients in the Nigerian technology and venture ecosystem on transactions ranging from institutional investments, M&A, intellectual property, international expansion strategies and more.

TLP was also one of the only two law firms that drafted the landmark 2023 Nigerian Startup Act, which created the legal framework for key regulatory bodies to provide an enabling environment and support to startups in Nigeria.

Having worked on and structured many of the continent’s biggest deals for the fastest-growing technology companies, TLP has been well positioned to collect technical intelligence for the ecosystem over the past decade, as well as source candid insights from technology leaders.

A Decade of the Nigerian Venture Ecosystem: Numbers, Insights & Stories also chronicles the growth and evolution of the Nigerian venture ecosystem from its nascent stages in 2014 whilst also paying homage to early investors like Olumide Soyombo’s Leadpath and enablers like the CcHUB and Lagos Angel Network.

Key findings from A Decade of the Nigerian Venture Ecosystem: Numbers, Insights & Stories include

• Funding Struggles Amid Currency Devaluation: While 2021 saw record venture capital investments of USD 3 billion, 51% of startups surveyed cited difficulties in securing funding, primarily due to currency volatility and access to investors. Angel investors have emerged as a crucial funding source during this challenging period.
• Talent & Operational Efficiency: Talent acquisition and retention are among the top challenges for startups, emphasising the need for efficient operations and customer-centric strategies.
• Regulatory Hurdles: 30% of founders cite complex regulatory landscapes as a major hurdle, urging closer collaboration with policymakers, especially under the Nigeria Startup Act.

The report makes recommendations for fostering a more robust startup ecosystem in Nigeria and is now calling for the following:

1. Deepening Strategic Partnerships: Expanding collaborative efforts between startups and corporates can unlock new markets and aid regulatory navigation.
2. Investing in Talent Development: Addressing skill gaps is crucial for retaining high performers in a competitive landscape.
3. Engaging in Policy Development: Proactive participation in policy discussions is essential for creating a supportive business environment.

Odunoluwa Longe, co-founder of TLP Advisory, comments,

“Despite the current tough macroeconomic climes, engaging with participants in this project ignited in me renewed hope and optimism for our ecosystem. We embarked on this project as our way of celebrating the ecosystem that made us, and this report reflects both the resilience and the evolution of the Nigerian tech ecosystem. It’s not just about technology; it’s about building a future where founders, investors, and the public sector work together to make Nigeria a leader in innovation and digital solutions. Over the past decade, we’ve witnessed, and have been part of, incredible success stories born from collaboration and adaptability, and we believe the best is yet to come.”

Adenike Adeyemi, executive director of FATE Foundation, added

“The most unexpected challenge for entrepreneurs in Nigeria has been the unstable and inconsistent regulatory and business environment. Founders here often have to navigate unique complexities, and a supportive policy framework is essential for unlocking their full potential.”

Speaking to the need for proactive policy engagement, Kola Aina of Ventures Platform notes,

“The ecosystem must become more deliberate and take the job of engaging in government policy design more seriously, ensuring we shape the policies that govern our industry.”

In addition to quantitative metrics, the report features several compelling qualitative stories from key ecosystem players like Odunayo Eweniyi (Piggyvest), Mayowa Okegbenle (PressOne Africa), Nichole Yembra (The Chrysalis Co),  Kola Aina (Ventures Platform), Olumide Soyombo (Voltron Capital), Femi Longe (CcHUB) and Jessica Hope (Wimbart) – many of whom echoed the report’s findings, in terms of identifying challenges as well as reflecting on lessons learned.

Supported by key partners, including Big Cabal Media, Blue Advisory, PressOne Africa, Ventures Platform and Wimbart, the report reflects TLP’s commitment to advancing sustainable growth for African startups.

Through its legal-tech product, DIYLaw, TLP has also supported over 200,000 businesses, contributing to Nigeria’s economic development.

[Featured Image Credit]