Imagine an Africa where tech hubs sprout like mushrooms after the rain, but still, internet connectivity in some areas is as inaccessible as a mirage in the desert.
According to recent data, African startups raised $2.2 billion in 2024. But here’s the kicker—Nigeria snagged just $410 million of those funds, and we could say the challenges included unreliable power supply and ballooning costs of operations, among others.
A report released in 2023 revealed that Lagos had the highest concentration of tech startups in Africa, supported by 90 of the continent’s 640 active tech hubs. These numbers have surely increased, and so have the contradictions.
Billion-dollar valuations coexist with underfunded infrastructure, and innovation thrives even with policy uncertainties.
But the saying goes— The gem cannot be polished without friction, and a person cannot be perfected without trials. Again, there are no shortcuts to the top of the palm tree and innovators are not letting these challenges stop them.
Tech Hubs are sprouting up to drive collaboration, partnerships and resilient solutions. Let’s explore the numbers, the initiatives, and the good works that place these selected hubs among the top 10 tech hubs to watch in 2025, joining the likes of CcHub, Wennovation, and nHub, among other known hubs already in the space.
1. KOMU Tech Hub
KOMU Tech Hub, launched in partnership with TD Africa and Huawei, aims to decentralise digital growth in Nigeria. Situated at Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University (KOMU) in Owerri, this hub was built to bolster tech education.
In 2024, the ICT Academy launched within the hub received commendation for its focus on grooming tech-savvy graduates.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ikechukwu Dozie, celebrated the hub as a game-changer for the university, stressing its prospects to instil self-reliance among students. His positiveness was reiterated by the Imo State Government, which saw the hub as a big step in building a digital city and stimulating a smart economy.
TD Africa and Huawei’s collaboration has ensured the hub offers hands-on training and exposure to cutting-edge ICT technologies. Students now have access to resources that prepare them for global tech roles, while Huawei’s support has placed KOMU as a strategic hub to watch in Africa’s tech space.
2. S Mobile Tech Hub
S Mobile Tech Hub, established by entrepreneur Kingsley Adonu, aims to boost the tech space in southeastern Nigeria. As a CSR initiative of S Mobile Group, the hub prioritizes youth entrepreneurship, skills development, and job creation. In 2024, the hub was recognized for its forward-thinking approach to addressing regional challenges.
Adonu’s mission to build a solid startup sector in Enugu State aligns with Governor Peter Mbah’s vision of a resilient and innovative economy. S Mobile Tech Hub supports this goal by building digital skills in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and big data. The hub also extends free data and airtime to students, civil servants, and entrepreneurs, enhancing socio-economic standards.
One of the hub’s achievements in 2024 was the rollout of its Cohort 1 program, which provided starter tools to 500 successful technology entrepreneurs. With state-of-the-art facilities, including high-speed internet and robotics labs, the hub is enabling youth to overcome limitations and participate in the digital economy.
The hub also introduced training programs in web development, mobile app creation, and cybersecurity. Partnerships with global tech companies have further strengthened its place among top tech hubs to watch in Africa in 2025.
3. RAD5 Tech Hub
Located in the city of Aba, Abia State, RAD5 Tech Hub is doing great in Nigeria’s hardware innovation sector. While the country’s tech space is known for its software and digital technology achievements, the hardware space remains underrepresented, largely due to the lack of comprehensive data and supportive infrastructure.
RAD5 Tech Hub, co-founded by Nnanna John, is bridging this gap by offering a collaborative workspace attending to the needs of hardware innovators.
In 2024, RAD5 Tech Hub helped in enhancing entrepreneurship and technological growth. It successfully launched the Abia Startups Investment Readiness Programme (ASIR-P), funded by AfriLabs and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) through the Digital Africa Seed Fund.
This three-month initiative supported 300 startups, training them with skills in areas such as product development, customer validation, and business model innovation. The programme also provided direct mentorship from industry experts, making it a great initiative in preparing Abia-based businesses to secure funding and scale operations.
Beyond training and mentorship, RAD5 Tech Hub has ensured knowledge-sharing through workshops and events focused on hardware innovation. These works have cultivated a thriving community of hardware entrepreneurs prepared to tackle Nigeria’s challenges in manufacturing, prototyping, and data collection. Through partnerships with government agencies, academia, and industry players, RAD5 Tech Hub has undoubtedly walked its way into the top tech hubs to watch in 2025.
In addition to its achievements in programming and capacity-building, RAD5 Tech Hub has also emphasised advocacy and research. The hub’s focus on addressing the data gap in Nigeria’s hardware sector is very important, as it provides insights into the challenges and opportunities within the ecosystem.
4. 1879 Tech Hub
Named after the founding year of UAC Nigeria, 1879 Tech Hub is doing a great thing in digital innovation on the continent. Launched with the vision of embedding technology into the core of African businesses, the hub has become a driver of growth and sustainability for UAC and its diverse operations.
Under the leadership of Fola Aiyesimoju, Group Managing Director of UAC Nigeria, and David Dogeni, chief technology officer, the hub has embraced a dual focus on creativity and technology to transform business operations. In 2024, 1879 Tech Hub led initiatives that helped UAC’s business units evolve into digital natives.
With the integration of cutting-edge solutions across industries such as food production, manufacturing, and retail, the hub fantastically enhanced operational efficiency and customer experience.
One of the hub’s most applaudable achievements in 2024 was the establishment of specialised verticals, including Business Technology, Digital Innovation, Tech Academy, and Creative Communications. These verticals have provided a structured framework for driving innovation and developing talent, ensuring that UAC’s transformation efforts are sustainable.
Collaborating with key UAC subsidiaries such as CAP, Grand Cereals, and UAC Foods, 1879 Tech Hub has delivered a huge impact. These partnerships have optimised supply chains and production processes and have also shown how technology can be a good enabler for growth in traditional industries.
1879 Tech Hub’s success in integrating innovation across UAC’s operations, coupled with its focus on tech talent, has placed it among the top tech hubs to watch in 2025.
5. NASENI Innovation Hub
In 2024, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) joined forces with AfriLabs to launch the NASENI Innovation Hub. This collaboration and more has placed the hub among top tech hubs driving innovation to watch in 2025.
With a mission to support young innovators and startups, the hub has provided critical infrastructure, mentorship, and resources to help entrepreneurs commercialize groundbreaking technologies.
The hub has already helped in accelerating industrialization and enabling sustainable economic growth. Through programs such as the NASENI Reverse Japa Programme, researchers from global universities were offered funding to commercialize their innovations locally, reversing brain drain and boosting Nigeria’s industrial sector. Meanwhile, the DeltHer Expansion Programme empowered women engineers with mentorship and funding, driving female-led technological breakthroughs.
For younger innovators, the FutureMakers by NASENI initiative groomed talent at secondary school and university levels through grants, competitions, and mentorship. The Placeholder Programme, targeting solutions for public sector challenges, and NASENI Xceler8, designed to accelerate startups in science, engineering, and manufacturing, showed the hub’s comprehensive system to support diverse demographics.
This innovation has set the foundation for Nigeria’s industrial transformation, placing the hub among the top tech hubs to watch in 2025. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, the executive vice chairman of NASENI, noted that the hub goes beyond a facility—it is a platform driving homegrown solutions and promoting economic diversification.
6. Timbuktoo Fintech Hub
Lagos became the home of Africa’s first Timbuktoo Fintech Hub in 2024, thanks to a partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Timbuktoo Africa Innovation Foundation. As part of the world’s largest initiative supporting Africa’s innovation, this hub is designed to enhance financial technology and economic development across the continent.
Located at the UNDP Innovation Center, the hub provides a state-of-the-art collaborative workspace for fintech startups, offering mentorship, advanced technology, and expert guidance. It also hosts virtual spaces, ensuring access for innovators across Africa. Grooming talent and cross-border collaborations, the hub is driving financial inclusion and innovation at scale.
The launch of the hub was marked by the onboarding of its first Pan-African cohort of fintech startups and the Fintech for Development Marketplace, which revealed commendable technologies with the potential to transform Africa’s financial sector.
Networking sessions, policy dialogues, and fireside chats enabled key stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers, to exchange ideas and collaborate on solutions.
H.E. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos State, praised the initiative as a motivation for economic development, emphasizing the role of collaboration in driving innovation. Yemi Osinbajo, former vice president of Nigeria and a guardian of the Timbuktoo Africa Innovation Foundation, noted the great prospects of Africa’s youth. Mentioning examples like Flutterwave and Andela, Osinbajo backed the belief that young innovators are indispensable to the continent’s prosperity.
This fintech hub represents a fierce partnership between the private sector, African governments, and international organizations, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals. UN Assistant Secretary-General Ahunna Eziakonwa described the initiative as one which asserts Africa’s capacity to generate solutions for global challenges, inviting stakeholders to see the continent as a land of opportunity.
So, the hub is among the top tech hubs to watch in 2025, with close monitoring.
7. The Growth Hub
The Growth Hub Africa had a good impact in 2024 with its Growth Accelerator & Grant Competition. This initiative provided financial support and capacity-building opportunities to over 3,100 businesses, primarily in Ondo State, Nigeria.
The programme awarded grants ranging from ₦125,000 to ₦2 million to ten winners while also providing 2,000 participants with training and resources valued at ₦2 million. The top 200 participants gained access to investor pitch opportunities, further positioning their businesses for success.
In collaboration with organisations like Sterling Bank, TradeFlow, and UAC Foods, The Growth Hub addressed challenges such as financial access, entrepreneurship education, and digital illiteracy. Its flagship events included the Ondo Entrepreneurs Virtual Summit, which attracted industry leaders, and a five-day virtual accelerator programme covering essential business skills such as financial management and marketing strategies.
Founder of SalesPlat, Olatunde Victor, noted the impact of this programme, stating that over 60% of participants experienced investment readiness and growth frameworks for the first time. The competitive aspect of the programme concluded in a grand finale on August 10, where ten exceptional businesses received funding.
The tech hub is one to watch in 2025 as it doesn’t just provide financial support, participants benefit from tools like pitch deck templates and one-on-one guidance from business development associates. The Growth Hub is driving entrepreneurial growth, providing co-working spaces, premium training, and a place for innovation.
8. Z-Habitat Hub
Launched by 15Wins Ventures in Lagos, Z-Habitat Hub is not letting anyone give up on innovation and entrepreneurship in Nigeria. Officially opened in 2024, the hub attracted dignitaries such as The Netherlands Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Bengt van Loosdrecht, who commended it as a “powerful connection point” for transformative ideas.
Z-Habitat Hub hosted workshops, mentorship sessions, and networking events targeting Lagos’s thriving startup sector. It serves as a bridge between local talent and global resources, aligning with 15Wins Ventures’ broader mission of sustainable African tech development.
CEO Nelson T. Ajulo described Z-Habitat as a convergence of technology, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit, pointing to the hub’s works to train nearly 500 students and provide scholarships to underserved women through the Zarttalent initiative.
The launch event included guided tours of state-of-the-art facilities, cultural performances, and showcases by local artists. Driving impactful solutions, the hub is facilitating collaboration between investors and entrepreneurs to build an inclusive, technology-driven continent, placing it among the top tech hubs to watch in 2025.
9. CoLab
CoLab, located in Kaduna, Nigeria, is a driver of innovation in Northern Nigeria, aiming to create a thriving tech space beyond Lagos. Founded by Sanusi Ismaila, CoLab has grown from an idea to a hub that inspires creativity, facilitates learning, and empowers young Nigerians to compete globally.
In 2024, CoLab had commendable achievements including a women-only technical cohort in partnership with the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub. This programme upskilled 120 women in areas like digital marketing, web design, and data science.
Another achievement was its partnership with Facebook to train 1,000 entrepreneurs in Northwest Nigeria on leveraging the Facebook app for business growth. CoLab also implemented Project Sparrow, a $1.4 million agritech initiative in collaboration with LoftyInc and USAID, aimed at preparing startups for investment readiness.
Again, CoLab supported the National Social Investments Program’s (NSIP) Startup Nigeria initiative, incubating innovative ideas across the country. With over 3,000 entrepreneurs supported and more than 72 projects completed to date, CoLab’s 2024 performance makes it one of the tech hubs to watch in 2025.
10. Genesys Tech Hub
Enugu-based Genesys Tech Hub is bolstering tech in southeastern Nigeria by grooming a generation of world-class developers and entrepreneurs. With a mission to build Africa’s largest pool of technical talent, Genesys has invariably built young Nigerians through its initiatives.
In 2024, Genesys’ impact was seen through its Learnable internship programme, which trained over 720 professionals in software development and design. Commendably, 85% of these graduates were employed within the tech industry, while others launched their startups or became mentors themselves.
Genesys also partnered with the Federal Government and Ventures Platform Hub to support startups under the NSIP programme. Ten startups received funding and mentorship, with great innovations in governance, agriculture, commerce, and finance.
Genesys’ collaborative and growth-focused culture, coupled with its emphasis on real-world experience, places it among the top tech hubs to watch in 2025, with its ability to bridge the gap between tech talent and industry needs.
