United Arab Emirates Set to Partner with Nigerian Government to Boost Tech Ecosystem

Chief Executive of the Dubai Future Foundation, Khalfan Belhoul, of the United Arab Emirates says it is willing to collaborate with the Nigerian government to boost the development of its tech startup ecosystem.

News.ng reports that this was revealed by Belhoul on Sunday at the world’s largest startup and investment show, GITEX Global, which is now taking place in Dubai.

The UAE firmly believes that the Nigerian startup ecosystem has a lot of promise, but that more work has to be done by the government of the continent’s largest economy to fully realize those benefits.

Leading the UAE’s smart city strategy across five key business areas, Belhoul emphasized the significance of partnering and promoting innovation to propel growth in the digital economy.

Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa constitute one of Africa’s big four startup ecosystems, with at least 481 active firms as of August 2022.

According to estimates, Nigeria has more than 3,360 startups as of 2022, more than any other country in Africa.

Subsequently, in the same year, Kenya and South Africa reported over 1,000 and over 660 companies, respectively.