Lagos Named World’s Fastest-Growing Tech City in 2025 by Dealroom.co
Lagos, Nigeria – Netherlands-based research firm Dealroom.co has ranked Lagos as the world’s fastest-growing tech ecosystem in its newly released Global Tech Ecosystem Index 2025 report.
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Why Lagos Stands Out
The report highlights Lagos as home to five unicorn companies – Interswitch, Flutterwave, Jumia, OPay, and Moniepoint – making it an attractive hub for tech startups. Classified under the ‘Rising Stars’ category, Lagos has seen its ecosystem valuation grow 11.6 times since 2017 despite Nigeria’s relatively smaller economy.
“This year, Lagos (#1) is topping the list, having created 5 unicorns and grown its ecosystem valuation 11.6x since 2017 despite a smaller economy,” the report stated.
Top Rising Star Tech Cities
The ranking of fastest-growing tech ecosystems includes:
- 1. Lagos, Nigeria
- 2. Istanbul, Turkey
- 3. Pune, India
- Other notable cities: Belo Horizonte (Brazil), Mumbai (India), Curitiba (Brazil), and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)
Global Tech Champions
While Lagos leads in growth, established tech hubs dominate the Global Champions category:
- Bay Area, USA
- New York City, USA
- Boston, USA
- Paris, France (Top European hub)
- London, UK
Lagos’ Tech Ecosystem Drivers
Lagos State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Tunbosun Alake, told Nairametrics that key factors include:
- Large population and business-friendly environment
- Targeted support for underserved sectors like AI and robotics
- Government-business partnership facilitation
“We have a specific policy of helping businesses in areas we believe need development, like AI and robotics,” Alake stated.
Source: Nairametrics