TechFiesta 2.0 has successfully concluded in Ogbomoso, marking a major milestone in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem. Building on the success of its inaugural edition, which was hosted as a conference in 2024, this year’s TechFiesta evolved into a full-scale celebration of the people behind the progress: the builders, innovators, community leaders, and organizations shaping the future of technology in Nigeria.
Hosted under the theme “Empowering a Generation of Builders: Celebrating Innovation, Talent & the Future of Tech,” TechFiesta 2.0 introduced its Dinner & Awards Night format, designed to go beyond learning and spotlight real impact, peer recognition, and community storytelling. The event brought together developers, startup founders, designers, product leaders, ecosystem enablers, and community managers from across the country in a relaxed yet intentional setting for connection, collaboration, and celebration.
Convened by Glory Olaifa, alongside organizers Esuola Daniel, Kehinde Quyum, Adio Testimony and Olaonipekun Boluwatife, TechFiesta 2.0 reflects a growing movement to document and reward contributions that often go unrecognized. The event was proudly headlined by Nickels VC, with support from NexLab, Ovico Gallery, and Provolo, whose sponsorship reinforced the importance of investing in people and communities driving innovation.
A major highlight of the evening was the keynote address by Michael Light Tommy, titled “The Future Is Built, Not Predicted: Empowering a Generation of Tech Builders,” which emphasized intentional innovation, collaboration, and resilience as the cornerstones of sustainable growth in tech. This was followed by a dynamic panel session, “The Builders’ Mindset: Crafting a Career That Thrives in a Changing Tech World,” featuring speakers from Moniepoint, BudgIT, Provolo, and LubbyAI, who shared practical insights on navigating change, building relevance, and scaling impact across industries.
TechFiesta 2.0 also recognized outstanding contributors across individual and organizational categories. Award recipients included Ada Nduka Oyom (Women in Tech Leader of the Year), Sultan A. (Tech Influencer of the Year), Idris Olubisi (Developer Advocate of the Year), Esuola Daniel (Innovator of the Year), Imam Bashir (Community Builder of the Year), Mariam Kasim (Rising Talent Award), Ademide Adebayo (Diversity & Inclusion Champion), Semudara Abayomi (Tech Content Creator of the Year), Elijah Ayanlere (Volunteer of the Year), Tobiloba Adedeji (Open Source Contributor of the Year), Abdulaziz Akanbi (GMNSE) (Ecosystem Connector / Community Catalyst), and Jamiu Okanlawon (Technical Leadership Award).
Organizational honors were presented to Google Developer Group (Corporate Community Impact Award), Xara (Startup of the Year), and Kids That Code (Best Community-Led Initiative), while Sodiq Akinjobi received the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Areous Ahmed was honored with the Community Hero Award.
As the curtains close on this year’s celebration, TechFiesta 2.0 has proven that it is not simply an event, it is a movement. By blending storytelling with recognition, Techfiesta have laid the foundation for an annual tradition that will grow into one of the most anticipated gatherings in the African technology landscape.
Positioned as an annual platform, TechFiesta aims to become Nigeria’s “Ballon d’Or of Tech Impact” celebrating excellence, amplifying grassroots stories, strengthening cross-community collaboration, and inspiring the next generation of builders shaping Africa’s digital future.
The future of tech is not just about the products we build, but the people we honor.
The “Ballon d’Or” of Tech has only just begun.