The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Alami Capital, in partnership with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), have unveiled The LaunchPad, a venture-building platform designed to support and scale Africa’s most promising women-led startups. The initiative, which will feature prominently at GITEX Nigeria 2025, is a market intervention aimed at tackling the chronic under-capitalisation of women-owned enterprises.
Despite women owning 27 percent of businesses in Africa and contributing 13 percent to GDP, they receive only 7 percent of total venture capital funding. The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said The LaunchPad was created to close this gap by ensuring women founders take central roles in Africa’s innovation economy. According to him, bridging this disparity is not charity but a smart investment in the continent’s future.
The LaunchPad will inject $250,000 in catalytic capital into five ventures selected after GITEX Nigeria, with each startup receiving between $25,000 and $50,000. Beyond funding, the platform will provide equity investment, regulatory guidance, and mentorship to prepare women entrepreneurs for sustainable growth. Unlike traditional grant-only or short-term accelerator models, The LaunchPad integrates structured investment pathways with regulatory de-risking and long-term scaling opportunities.
At GITEX Nigeria, the dedicated zone will host a Funding Pavilion to showcase high-potential ventures, Capital Readiness Clinics to connect founders with investors, and a Fireside for Scale dialogue on market expansion and IPO readiness. A symbolic “To the Stars” Bell Activation with the SEC and women founders will mark the rise of women in Africa’s capital markets. Amina Oyagbola, founding partner of Alami Capital, said the mission is to shift capital flows, transform investment behaviour, and unlock Africa’s innovation potential through a vetted pipeline of women-led ventures