Starting a Startup in Nigeria: Lessons From Founders at GITEX 2025
From slow adoption to fragile teams and tough funding, Nigerian founders at GITEX 2025 reveal what new entrepreneurs should brace for when starting out.
If you’re looking to become a startup founder in Nigeria, or just someone who’s curious about the industry, you probably know by now that setting up isn’t a piece of cake.
The glitz-and-glamour stage that many of today’s big-name startups enjoy only came after years of grinding, pivots, and painful lessons. At the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) Nigeria 2025 Startup Festival, held at Landmark Centre in Lagos last week, we had the chance to talk to some of these big name startups who were able to give their piece of advice to people looking to break into the industry or who are still early in it to be able to at least be able to anticipate the coming pains in the industry, and be able to at least brace themselves.
1. Adoption is slower than you think
Across the board, the first major problem most founders will face is getting people to use their product in the first place. When people are set in their ways of using things, making that transition into something new can be quite difficult.
Abdul, a software developer at STECS, a fintech that blends digital banking with investment, explained
“The majority of people are not really leveraging technology… A lot of older Nigerians still prefer going to the bank, write a cheque, and stand in line instead of trying digital banking. So, we are trying to give the awareness about it.”
It’s a reminder that no matter how good your product is, people won’t change habits overnight. Founders need to plan for awareness campaigns, simplify their offerings, and walk users patiently into the digital future. Just because you offer an easier solution doesn't mean people will let go of the more familiar one.
2. Your team will make or break you
For Debo Ogunbanjo, founder of Senda, the problem wasn’t customers but people. One of the hardest parts about building from scratch is understanding that you cannot build it alone; you have to reach out for help. The second hardest part is getting the right people to help, those who see the vision and are willing to grind out with you.
“It took us a while. We had somebody, and then halfway through, we had to change the person. But now we have a good team.” said Ogunbanjo
That’s the kind of hard truth early founders often underestimate. Execution depends on who you hire, and the wrong fit can slow everything down. Building, and sometimes rebuilding, the right team is part of the startup journey, and it takes just as much energy as building the product itself.
3. Trust is everything
For industries like healthcare that may require a bit more trust, though, the challenge isn’t a lack of need but a lack of confidence. It's one thing for people to be made aware of your product, and it's another for it not to scare them into believing it's an enemy.
For example, Lawal A. Abdulrahman from DSHub (LifeGate), an AI-powered ICU platform, shared how hospitals react when they hear the word “AI.”
“Many people in Nigeria immediately think of ChatGPT or sci-fi fears,” their product manager said. “So, we have to keep explaining this is medical AI trained on clinical data, and it’s always human-in-the-loop.”
If you’re building in a sensitive sector, expect resistance. Convincing users isn’t just about showing features; it’s about taking the time and resources to educate, listen to concerns, and prove over time that your product is safe and trustworthy.
4. Funding is cautious, and that’s okay
When it came to money, people tend to get a bit careful and sensitive. At GITEX, investors made it clear: they’re done backing lofty pitches about becoming the next ‘Amazon of Africa.’ Instead, they’re prioritising local solutions that solve real African problems.
It's situations like this that have led most founders to admit they were still bootstrapping or relying on grants. Ogunbanjo from Senda even avoided VCs on purpose:
“When you get investments from people who are near and dear, it gives them ownership of your business as well. So that way, as your company is doing well, your family… they’re also happy.”
Investors at GITEX echoed that the bar has risen. They want clear product-market fit, solid teams, real differentiation, and traction that shows discipline. In their words, “traction beats hype.” For founders, that means it’s smarter to focus on proving your idea works, even with limited resources, before chasing big cheques.
Final Word
As has been reiterated over and over, these things take time. If you’re hoping for a quick win, startups aren’t it. Building in Nigeria is a long, draining road that will test every part of you.
From fintech to logistics to healthtech, the challenges Nigerian founders face may look different, but the lessons line up: adoption takes time, teams are fragile, trust is hard-won, and funding comes last, not first. If you expect these hurdles from the start and build with them in mind, you’ll be far better prepared to survive the startup grind.
Kelechi Edeh
