...Why Northern Nigerian Start-Ups Are Being Left Behind
By Surayyah Ahmad
Nigeria’s startup ecosystem is booming, with a growing number of innovative companies emerging across the country. However, there is a stark divide between startups in the northern and southern regions of Nigeria when it comes to securing venture capital (VC) funding. Northern Nigerian startups are being left behind, and this has serious implications for the region’s economic development and tech innovation.
Northern Nigeria is home to a large portion of Nigeria’s population, with an estimated 100 million people residing in the region. However, when it comes to attracting VC funding, the region lags behind the southern region, which includes Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital. According to a report by Techpoint Africa, Lagos-based startups attracted 85% of all VC funding in Nigeria in 2020, leaving just 15% for startups in other regions.
