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Get Equity, Pocket Food, Six Others Win Lagos Gitex Pitch Competition

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Gitex Pitch Competition

By Adedapo Adesanya

Eight Nigerian startups have emerged winners of the Gitex Pitch Competition, Lagos Roadshow edition, held at the Eko Innovation Centre, Ikoyi last Friday.

The winners at the Lagos Roadshow Event were Pocket Food, Fuspay Technologies, Byte, Africa Comicade, Get Equity, Alajo, Instant Rad, and Dataleum.

The Lagos State Government, in partnership with Eko Innovation Centre, would be sponsoring these startups on an all-expense paid session to Morocco and Dubai for the Gitex Supernova Pitch Competition, where the entrepreneurs will pitch their ideas and compete on a global scale before fund managers and investors.

Speaking at the event, Mr Olatunbosun Alake, Special Adviser on Innovation and Technology to the Lagos State Governor, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to partnering with the Dubai World Trade Center, organizers of Gitex Global, to provide the platform for young companies or small businesses to become global companies and operate on a global scale.

“It is an opportunity for Lagos startups to showcase their ingenuity across a global audience, as it helps to validate their products and services, puts them in front of other competitors as well as exposure for investment opportunities to Nigeria,” he said.

He further added that the entrepreneurs provide economic value through the Gitex platform as it puts them in front of investors sponsored by the Lagos State Government.

On his part, Mr Victor Afolabi, Founder of Eko Innovation Centre, stated that the initiative presents a platform to deepen the entrepreneurial ecosystem as well as reduce unemployment in Lagos state and Nigeria.

“With Gitex, we expect the entrepreneurs to get partnerships and collaborations to commercialize their businesses, and grow their market share in order to help assuage the economic challenges and eradicate the high rate of poverty prevalent in the country,” he said.

Mr Afolabi further commended the Lagos State Government for being futuristic and friendly in its approach to expanding the frontiers of entrepreneurship by driving the innovation ecosystem in Nigeria.

One of the winners, Mr Oscar Michael, Founder of Africa Comicade, a platform for African digital creatives in gaming, animation, comics, and XR, connecting them to opportunities for learning, jobs, collaboration and funding” stated that the win for him is transformational, as it gives him the opportunity and platform to showcase Nigeria as the gaming hub in Africa.

“This is a good validation, and I look forward to making Nigeria the hub for gaming in Africa”, he said.

The Lagos Roadshow Event recorded over 130 entries for the pitch competition. The best 30 were shortlisted to pitch, and eight startups eventually emerged as winners.

Gitex is an acronym for Gulf Information Technology Exhibition. It is an annual global tech show at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the United Arab Emirates. It is the largest gathering of entrepreneurs all over the world, a global platform with the best collaborators, mentors and innovators, giving opportunities for visibility and funding.

The 42nd edition in October 2022 hosted more than 5,000 companies and over 170,000 attendees from 176 countries.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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Economy

NGX RegCo Cautions Investors on Recent Price Movements

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NGX RegCo

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The investing public has been advised to exercise due diligence before trading stocks on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.

This caution was given by the NGX Regulation Limited (NGX RegCo), the independent regulatory arm of the NGX Group Plc.

The advisory became necessary in response to notable price movements observed in the shares of certain listed companies over recent trading sessions.

On Monday, the bourse suspended trading in the shares of newly-listed Zichis Agro-allied Industries Plc. The company’s stocks gained almost 900 per cent within a month of its listing on Customs Street.

In a statement today, NGX RegCo urged investors to avoid speculative trading based on unverified information and to consult licensed intermediaries such as stockbrokers or investment advisers when needed.

It explained that its advisory is part of its standard market surveillance functions, as it serves as a measured reminder for investors to prioritise informed and disciplined decision-making.

The notice emphasised that the Exchange will continue to monitor market activities closely in line with its mandate to ensure a fair, orderly, and transparent market.

“NGX RegCo encourages all investors to base their decisions on publicly available information, including a thorough assessment of company fundamentals, financial performance, and risk profile,” a part of the disclosure said.

It reassured all stakeholders that the NGX remains stable, well-regulated, and resilient, saying the platform continues to foster an environment where investors can participate with confidence, supported by robust oversight and transparent market operations.

“Our primary responsibility is to maintain a level playing field where market participants can trade with confidence, backed by timely and accurate information.

“This advisory is a routine communication, reinforcing that sound fundamentals, not speculation, remain the foundation for sustainable investment outcomes. We are fully committed to preserving the integrity and stability of our market,” the chief executive of NGX RegCo, Mr Olufemi Shobanjo, stated.

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Economy

Stronger Taxpayer Confidence, Others Should Determine Tax Reform Success—Tegbe

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four tax reform bills

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The chairman of the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee (NTPIC), Mr Joseph Tegbe, has tasked the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) to measure the success of the new tax laws by higher voluntary compliance rates, lower administrative costs, fewer disputes, faster resolution cycles, and stronger taxpayer confidence.

Speaking at the 2026 Leadership Retreat of the agency, Mr Tegbe said, “Sustainable revenue performance is built on trust and efficiency, not enforcement intensity,” emphasising that the legitimacy and predictability of the system are more critical than punitive measures.

He underscored that the country’s tax reform journey is at a critical juncture where effective implementation will determine long-term fiscal outcomes.

The NTPIC chief stressed that tax policy must serve as an enabler of governance, and should embody simplicity, equity, predictability, and administrability at scale.

These principles, he explained, foster voluntary compliance, reduce operational friction, and strengthen investor confidence. He warned that ad-hoc adjustments or policy drift could undermine reform momentum, unsettle businesses, and deter investment, which thrives on predictable rules rather than shifting announcements. Structured sequencing, clear transition mechanisms, and continuous feedback between policymakers and administrators are therefore critical to sustaining reform credibility.

Mr Tegbe further argued that revenue reform cannot succeed in isolation. Achieving sustainable gains requires a whole-of-government approach, leveraging robust taxpayer identification systems, integrated financial data, efficient dispute resolution, and harmonised coordination across federal and sub-national levels. This approach, he said, reduces leakages, eliminates multiple taxation, and reinforces confidence in the system.

He noted that the passage of four new tax laws marks only the beginning of a broader reform agenda, describing the initiative as a systemic recalibration of Nigeria’s fiscal architecture, rather than a routine policy update.

He further asserted that the true measure of success will be the credibility of implementation, not the design of the laws themselves.

The NRS, he noted, functions as the nation’s “Revenue System Integrator,” with outcomes reflecting the strength of an interconnected ecosystem that encompasses policy clarity, enforcement consistency, digital infrastructure, dispute resolution efficiency, and intergovernmental coordination.

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Economy

NUPENG Seeks Clarity on New Oil, Gas Executive Order

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NUPENG

By Adedapo Adesanya

The National Union of Natural and Gas Workers (NUPENG) has expressed deep concern over the Executive Order by President Bola Tinubu mandating the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to remit directly to the federation account.

In a statement signed by its president, Mr William Akporeha, over the weekend in Lagos, the union noted that the absence of detailed public engagement had naturally generated tension within the sector and heightened restiveness among workers, who are anxious to know how the new directive may affect their employment, welfare and job security, especially as it affects NNPC and other major operations in the oil and gas sector.

It pointed out that the industry remained the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, contributing significantly to national revenue, foreign exchange earnings, and employment.

The NUPENG president affirmed that any policy shift, particularly one introduced through an Executive Order, has far-reaching consequences for regulatory frameworks, Investment decisions, operational standards, and labour relations within the sector.

According to him, “there is an urgent need for clarity on the scope and objectives of the Executive Order -What precise reforms or adjustments does it introduce? “Its implications for the Petroleum Industry Act -Does the Order amend, interpret, or expand existing provisions under PIA?

“Impact on workers and existing labour agreements-Will it affect job security, conditions of service, Collective Bargaining agreements or ongoing restructuring processes within the industry? “Effects on indigenous participation and local content development -How will it affect Nigerian companies and employment opportunities for citizens?”

He warned that without proper consultation and explanation, misinterpretations of the Executive Order may spread across the industry, potentially destabilising operations and undermining industrial harmony that stakeholders have worked hard to sustain.

“Though our union remains committed to constructive engagement, national development and stability of the oil and gas sector, however, we are duty-bound and constitutionally bound to protect the rights and welfare and job security of our members whose livelihoods depend on a clear, fair and predictable policy framework,” Mr Akporeha further stated.

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