Innovate Africa Fund and the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) have announced a joint plan to train over 500 tech innovators to participate actively in Africa’s growing product ecosystem, which is estimated to be worth over $500 billion. The announcement was made during a virtual Zoom meeting held on Friday ahead of the 2025 edition of World Product Day, which is scheduled to take place in Lagos on May 21.
Chiebuka Obumselu, who spoke on behalf of Innovate Africa Fund’s Fund Operations, said the partnership with LSETF reflects a shared commitment to developing a strong product development culture across the continent. She explained that the initiative is focused on helping young and aspiring tech talents move from basic ideas and theory into real product building and execution.
“We are working with LSETF to build a new crop of tech innovators from theory to practice to take advantage of the product development ecosystem valued at over $500bn,” Obumselu stated during the meeting.
According to her, the rapid growth of Africa’s tech space makes this year’s World Product Day in Lagos a timely event. She said that although the sector is expanding fast, there is still a big gap in actual product execution—the process of turning ideas into working and scalable solutions.
“World Product Day Lagos was born from a simple but important insight: ideas aren’t enough. It’s how you build that matters,” she said. “While other events celebrate funding rounds and visibility, this one is about craft—what it takes to build better, more inclusive, and scalable products on the continent.”
Obumselu stressed that the campaign is also meant to increase awareness, engage important stakeholders, and boost conversations around product innovation, local talent, and the global importance of technology created in Africa.
She further described World Product Day as part of a global movement that celebrates product management and innovation. But she noted that the Lagos edition is more than just a celebration. It is a bold statement that Africa is not only generating ideas but also building, launching, and expanding world-class products.
“We’re not focused on theory—we’re focused on execution,” she said. “Every session is designed to give attendees a new tool, skill, or relationship they can use the next day.”
She also noted that many tech events mainly focus on startup founders, while World Product Day Lagos is unique in that it speaks directly to the entire product team, including designers, researchers, and product operations staff. The goal is to strengthen all parts of the team involved in building digital products.
“If Africa is the future, product is the infrastructure. And we’re building that here,” Obumselu said.
This collaboration between Innovate Africa Fund and LSETF comes at a time when more African youths are seeking opportunities in the tech and digital economy. The initiative is expected to play an important role in helping Lagos—and Nigeria as a whole—build a stronger position in the global technology space by investing in people who can create real solutions for local and international markets.
