Nigerian startups increasingly are favoring Kano as their preferred base of operations.
In the heart of northern Nigeria, Kano, known as the commercial capital, has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade. This transformation has been spearheaded by Startup Kano, one of the largest tech incubation hubs in the region, which was established by a group of four visionaries in 2016.
Startup Kano has served as a gateway into tech for over 50,000 youth in Kano, providing them with the resources and support necessary to embark on their entrepreneurial journeys. The hub has also assisted early-stage entrepreneurs in raising over $1 million for their tech-enabled businesses.
Despite these achievements, the tech ecosystem in Kano is still relatively small compared to other regions. However, there have been remarkable instances of people and startups achieving great things. In 2022, a mobility startup founded by Khalil Halilu won $8,000 in the mobility and smart city category during a GITEX Pitch competition.
The growth in startup activities can be attributed to the success of pioneering tech entrepreneurs and a vibrant tech community. Yet, it was not always this way. In the past, there was almost no awareness of technology, and the idea of investing in technology instead of traditional brick-and-mortar businesses was largely unaccepted.
One of the co-founders of Startup Kano, Aisha Tofa, explained that there was no existing model for them initially due to the vastly different environments in Kano. She believes that for an ecosystem like Kano, there are still foundational challenges that need to be addressed, such as education, mentorship, and creating the right market.
Ahmed Idris, founder of Enovate Labs, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering innovation in Kano, cautioned that the excitement within the ecosystem should not be mistaken for a major transformation. He stated that the ecosystem in Kano is similar to how it was years ago, but there have been significant changes in recent years.
The ecosystem in Kano has attracted the attention of global organizations, the government, and private individuals who recognize the potential in the city. Kano has undergone significant changes in recent years, marked by a rise in the number of startups, incubation hubs, willing investors, and increased interest in the city.
In 2023, it was reported that only about 6% of tech founders from the northern region of Nigeria had access to venture capital funding. However, this has not deterred the anonymous co-founder of Startup Kano, who now bootstraps his own tech-enabled business and finds the market for his product more important than funding.
The other co-founder of Startup Kano, who did not want to reveal his name, currently runs a business in an undisclosed field. Despite the lack of public information about his name or business type, his contributions to the growth of the tech ecosystem in Kano cannot be understated.
As Kano joins the top 1,000 startup cities globally for the first time this year, it is clear that the city is on the rise. The tech ecosystem in Kano must adapt to the city's cultural context to be successful. With the right support, education, and mentorship, it is possible that Kano could become a major player in the global tech scene.
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