Global Tech Africa 2026: Kano Takes the centre Stage for Digitisation & Economic Growth

Global Tech Africa Kano Conference 2026 was held from November 3 to 5, and was organised by Futuremap Foundation and the National Information Technology Development Agency(NITDA). This conference was themed “Connecting Africa, Accelerating Growth, and had a sub-theme “Industrialisation, Market Access and the Sahel Gateway”.

As reported by AllAfrica, FutureMap Foundation Executive Director Dr Shuabib Sani Shuabib expressed his optimism of Kano’s potential to serve as a strategic location for trade corridors. He added that digitising the agriculture and leather industries will improve traceability and export readiness, enabling cross-border trade and strengthening the e-commerce industry.

The conference opened avenues for the Kano State Government's goal of achieving digital transformation across multiple sectors to position Kano as a pioneer of the regional digital economy. Amid economic challenges in Nigeria, initiatives such as workshops, skill development programs and startup showcases will help in attracting investments from various business organizations across the globe. Director Shuabib, while speaking on the ongoing difficulties faced by the technology sector in Nigeria, claimed that the foundation will ensure institutions and individuals come together in addressing grim issues.
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Further speaking on the choice of Kano for the conference, the director highlighted that the city, being a bridge between Nigeria and the Sahel, could provide access to a potential market of approximately 350 million people. With this Nigeria Tech conference, organizers aimed to build the Kano Digital Industrialisation Accord, creating around 500 jobs, which is expected to facilitate regional trade memoranda of understanding. In addition to employment generation, some of the important opportunities that can help Kano startups include:
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*1,000 B2B meetings
*15 Industrial partnerships
*10 trade corridor agreements

It can be concluded that the Global Tech Africa Kano conference is a major driving force in connecting the African technological ecosystem with its commercial ambitions. Through a common platform of discussions, the event positioned Kano as the centre for attracting emerging digital and commercial opportunities.
However, the long-term significance of the event is highly dependent on how well the plans and opportunities discussed at the Nigeria Tech Conference will be executed.
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