French Tech Lagos Summit: Reinforcing the Resilience of the Nigerian Startup Ecosystem

The French Tech Lagos Summit 2026 opened in Lagos on Tuesday, November 3, bringing together technology entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and representatives of the French and Nigerian business communities to discuss ways of strengthening Nigeria’s startup ecosystem.

Held at the Alliance Française Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi, the summit was organised by French Tech Lagos in partnership with the Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), under the theme, “Reinforcing the Resilience of the Nigerian Startup Ecosystem.”

The event provided an opportunity for participants to discuss the challenges facing Nigerian startups, explore opportunities for collaboration between both countries and consider how technology businesses can remain competitive despite economic and operational constraints.

Strengthening France–Nigeria Technology Partnerships

President of FNCCI, Guillaume Niarfeix, highlighted the Chamber’s role in promoting business relationships between France and Nigeria. He noted that the organisation had operated for 50 years and represented more than 500 members. Speaking about the importance of partnerships,

He also referred to the Chamber’s previous partnership with TotalEnergies, which brought energy leaders together for the first France–Nigeria Energy Roundtable, describing the summit as another opportunity to build business relationships and support economic growth.

The platform is designed to connect entrepreneurs, investors, businesses and other ecosystem operators across France and Africa, creating opportunities for networking, partnerships and investment.

The launch featured a discussion titled “France–Nigeria: Building Bridges Between Tech Ecosystems to Unlock Innovation and Investment.”

The session brought together Ann Mareme Atayie, Senior International Institutions Manager at Bpifrance; Samira Hamidi, Board Member of French Tech Lagos and Country Manager at Digital Virgo; Dotun Olowoporoku, Partner at Ventures Platform; and Abiodun Dominic, Co-founder of Friends of Nigeria.

The discussion explored how stronger connections between both technology ecosystems could support innovation, encourage investment and create opportunities for businesses operating in Nigeria and France.

Building Resilient and Competitive Engineering Teams

Another major session at the summit focused on the challenges of building and retaining engineering teams in Nigeria’s technology sector.

The panel, titled “Growing Under Constraints: How Nigerian Tech Startups Build Resilient and Competitive Engineering Teams,” was moderated by Emmanuel Paul of Business Front.

The panel featured Bayo Puddicombe, Vice President of Engineering at Qore; Gbolahan Salami, Senior Vice President at Wakanow Nigeria; Cheryl Omini, Strategic Client Partner for West Africa at Andela; Charles Emembolu, Co-founder and Director of TechQuest; and Tito Cookey-Gam, Principal at Partech Africa.

Discussions centred on talent recruitment, staff retention, compensation, technical training and the growing influence of artificial intelligence on engineering work.

The speakers agreed that Nigerian startups face difficulties competing for experienced engineers, particularly when international companies can offer higher salaries. However, they noted that the challenge goes beyond recruitment, as companies also need to invest in developing and retaining the talent already available.

Omini spoke about the importance of training and reskilling, explaining that employers should consider developing existing staff rather than relying entirely on external recruitment. She also advised early-stage startups with limited resources to begin with a small team of experienced engineers and expand as the business grows.

The discussion also examined how artificial intelligence is changing the way engineering teams work. While AI tools can make product development faster, the panelists stressed that technical knowledge, proper supervision and human judgement remain important.

They also encouraged startups to balance the need for competitive compensation with responsible financial management.

The panel concluded that building a strong technology workforce requires cooperation between startups, educational institutions, government and the private sector.

AI and Web3 Challenge, Awards and Closing

The summit also featured an AI and Web3 Developer Challenge, which brought together developers from Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire to develop technology-based solutions to a household savings challenge.

The participants presented platforms designed to help couples and families manage shared savings goals, monitor individual contributions and track their financial progress. Some of the solutions incorporated MetaMask wallets, blockchain transactions and artificial intelligence tools to provide insights into spending patterns and savings habits.

The presentations were assessed by a jury comprising Mr Shehu, Lead Engineer at Yellow Card; Roland Bello, Vice President at Paga Engine; Mr Joshua, Chief Technology Officer at Ascend; Mr Mohamed, Head of Zebos; and Samira Hamidi, Country Director at Digital Virgo and Board Member of French Tech Lagos.

Following the presentations and evaluation, Chukwudi David emerged as the overall winner of the challenge. Noah Adeleye was announced as the first runner-up, while Joseph came third as the second runner-up.

The organisers also acknowledged the support of their partners, including Baobab Microfinance Bank through its Jollof Plus platform, Air France and the Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Chamber announced a contribution of ₦500,000 towards supporting the first and second runners-up in the challenge. Air France also offered a return ticket to France as part of its support for the initiative.

During the closing ceremony, Laura Marie, Delegate to the Head of the Regional Economic Department, thanked the speakers, panelists, jury members and participants for their contributions to the summit. She also acknowledged the commitment of the French Tech community, Africa Forward Community, the Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Friends of Nigeria in making the event a success.

She further recognised the sponsors, including Air France, Baobab, Accenture and JAF Funds, for their support.

Reflecting on the day’s discussions, Marie highlighted the importance of developing talent in a rapidly changing technological environment and described global thinking and partnerships as important ways of strengthening the technology ecosystem.

She also outlined France’s strengths in technology, pointing to its network of incubators, including Station F, the French Tech network, research institutions and universities. She noted that France has expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and cloud technology, as well as funding opportunities that could benefit Nigerian partners.

According to her, France and Nigeria have complementary strengths, while platforms such as Africa Forward Community and French Tech Lagos provide opportunities to connect both ecosystems.

Marie also commended the developers who participated in the AI and Web3 Challenge, noting that their presentations demonstrated Nigeria’s talent and capacity for innovation. She congratulated the finalists and encouraged participants to maintain the connections established during the summit and turn their exchanged ideas into practical initiatives.

Conclusion

The French Tech Lagos Summit 2026 brought together key players in the French and Nigerian technology communities to discuss practical ways of strengthening startups, developing talent and encouraging investment. Through its discussions, partnerships and developer challenge, the summit highlighted the importance of collaboration and continued support in building a more resilient Nigerian startup ecosystem.

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