Award-winning Nigerian startups to take centre stage at AI Everything Expo
Nigerian startups are leading an epic artificial intelligence innovation race with innovative digital solutions solving cross-continental challenges as the very best from Africa’s largest economy take centre stage at the rising Silicon Valley’s largest tech and startup event in Morocco next month.
From AI–powered diabetic care, to SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) platforms boosting agriculture profitability, Nigerian tech is shaping the future of Africa’s burgeoning digital economy, enticing global investors with tantalising venture opportunities at the AI Everything Expo by GITEX AFRICA 2024, the continent’s largest tech and startup event, from 29 to 31 May in Marrakech.
Nigeria’s bold initiatives establishing the country as a dominant force in AI and tech talent development will be amplified by strong venture capital demand and interest at GITEX AFRICA’s AI Everything showcase, the continent’s most progressive power forum for AI exploration and deep tech innovation.
That demand will be intensified by the incredible AI growth opportunity in Nigeria; according to Statista, Nigeria’s AI market value will surpass the US$1 billion mark in 2024, growing 17% annually over the next seven years to reach US$3 billion by 2030.
Advancing African business and society
FundusAI is an example of Nigerian-borne innovation allowing doctors to detect diabetic retinopathy early, and will be one of more than 60 of the most outstanding Nigerian startups among hundreds of global startups at GITEX AFRICA 2024.
“Our product stands out as Africa’s first AI–powered ecosystem for diabetic care,” says FundusAI’s CEO and founder Abulmalik Adeyemo, who wants to diagnose more than five million patients annually by 2027, while expanding FundusAI’s scope to address additional eye health issues. “FundusAI offers automated diagnosis, appointment scheduling, treatment referrals and community support. Additionally, our gamified data collection ensures personalised healthcare insights.”
Farmatrix is another Nigerian AI game changer at AI Everything Expo by GITEX AFRICA 2024, a SaaS platform that connects farmers with agro-commodity aggregators and buyers in real time using advanced AI algorithms, greatly reducing post-harvest loss and boosting profits.
“More than 60% of smallholder farmers in Nigeria lose nearly half of their post-harvest yield because they can’t readily access buyers for their products,” says Nyafamu Manzo, founder of Farmatrix. “Farmatrix democratises purchase orders, guaranteeing end-to-end market, secure storage facilities and trusted logistics services for every farmer and agro-commodity aggregator in our network.”
Elevating African AI tech talent
While Africa is still in the early stages of AI adoption, there’s a growing interest in the transformational technology across the continent as governments balance the fine act of AI innovation and regulation, while fast-tracking AI talent development plans.
Tomiwa Aladekomo, CEO of Big Cabal Media – the Nigerian-based pan-African media group that tells the great African startup story to the world – says Nigeria sets an example of elevating tech talent to accelerate productivity and attract investment across the continent. “In Nigeria, the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy is training three million tech talents over the next four years, and that’s the kind of thing we want to see across the continent. Africa needs to build AI products, and we need to be thinking about regulation, not just from a safety perspective but about regulation that encourages productivity, allowing us to be producers [of AI] rather than just consumers – and that’s going to require a ton of tech talent.”
