Yaba, Lagos was once Nigeria’s dominant location for budding tech startups.
Often referred to as Nigeria’s Silicon Valley, Yaba became a hub for innovation in the early 2010s. It hosted key players like Andela, CcHub, and a wave of startups that attracted global attention, including Mark Zuckerberg’s famous visit in 2016.
The neighbourhood offered affordable rents and proximity to academic institutions like the government-owned University of Lagos (UNILAG), which provided a steady pipeline of young, skilled talent.
For years, Yaba symbolised the energy and potential of Nigerian tech, providing a foundation for early-stage companies to thrive.
Yet as companies scaled, Yaba’s aging infrastructure, traffic congestions, and limited space became drawbacks, leading tech companies to find other locations in Lagos.
Ikoyi, an upscale part of Lagos, has become symbolic as Nigeria’s next tech hub. Costing around $600–$800 per square metre, Ikoyi office spaces offer more than security and high rises for tech startups; they also offer a strategic location at the heart of Lagos’ tech ecosystem.
Ikoyi boasts some of Lagos’ most modern and well-maintained office buildings, like King’s Tower and Heritage Place, which meet global standards for security, environmental compliance, and functionality.
Global giants and big companies out of Nigeria like Flutterwave, Meta, and Google are flocking to the upscale Ikoyi for their Nigerian offices, despite the dollar cost of real estate in the neighbourhood.
As Nigeria’s tech ecosystem, now recognised as one of Africa’s Big 4, continues to boom, the move to Ikoyi could be symbolic of the status and growth these tech companies are achieving.
Silicon Valley is a mindset, not a location—a fitting metaphor for this migration.
Read why Nigerian biggest tech companies are betting on Ikoyi.
