Lagos State has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing emerging technology ecosystem in 2025, according to a new comprehensive report by Statisense, a renowned artificial intelligence-driven data analytics firm.
The report, released on Monday and published on X (formerly Twitter), underscores Lagos’ strategic rise as a global innovation hub and a major player in the digital economy.
The global rankings place Lagos ahead of other rapidly advancing tech cities, with Istanbul (Turkey) securing the second spot, followed by Pune (India), Belo Horizonte (Brazil), Mumbai (India), and Curitiba (Brazil). Also featured in the top ten are Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Johannesburg (South Africa), Chennai (India), and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam).
According to Statisense, the rankings were determined by evaluating multiple indicators of tech ecosystem vitality, including enterprise value, unicorn count, funding growth, GDP per capita, and cost of living. These factors provide a comprehensive picture of the economic and technological potential of cities in emerging markets.
The report also highlighted several other rising cities making notable strides in the global tech space. These include Kyiv (Ukraine), Mexico City (Mexico), Vilnius (Lithuania), Jakarta (Indonesia), Bengaluru (India), Zagreb (Croatia), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Bangkok (Thailand), Santiago de Chile (Chile), and Kampala (Uganda).
Commenting on the ranking, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu attributed Lagos’ outstanding growth to the State government’s deliberate policies and strategic investments designed to foster innovation and technology.
Speaking during the opening of the Art of Technology Lagos 6.0 event, themed “Artificial Intelligence and the Lagos Digital Economy”, the governor emphasized the importance of creating a supportive environment for tech startups.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, represented by Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat at the event, stated: “Through deliberate policies and investments, we have created an enabling environment that fosters innovation and positioned Lagos as a global player in the technology value chain.
“The achievements reflect the ingenuity of our people and our unwavering commitment to innovation. But we must continue to build on this foundation to secure our position as a leader in the global tech ecosystem.”
Sanwo-Olu noted that in 2023 alone, startups based in Lagos attracted over $1.2 billion in funding, representing 75 percent of all tech startup investments in Nigeria. This, he said, was a direct outcome of the state’s progressive approach to digital transformation.
Also speaking at the conference was Terrens Wu, Managing Director of the Enterprise Business Group at Huawei Technologies, who delivered the keynote address. Wu traced the evolution of digital transformation through three major growth curves in human society.
He explained that the first growth curve, driven by informatization, enabled massive interconnectivity and led to a surge in data traffic. This gave way to the second growth curve, powered by 5G and cloud technologies, which accelerated digital transformation across industries.
“Now, we are standing on the threshold of the third growth curve—the age of comprehensive intelligence. This phase will be defined by the integration of artificial intelligence into every aspect of society,” Wu said.
He emphasized that the demand for AI computing power is rising rapidly, and projected that by the end of 2025, the demand for AI-specific computing resources may surpass that of general-purpose computing.
“To unlock the full potential of AI, the development of elastic, efficient, and scalable multi-calculation infrastructure—essentially AI-native cloud infrastructure—will be critical,” he concluded.