Nigeria's Tech Ecosystem: The Funding Squeeze Deepens as Lagos Reigns and Regulators Move

The African startup funding pipeline has collapsed at the early stage, with startups raising between $100,000 and $1 million falling 44% in just six months. While headline funding for H1 2026 reached $1.44 billion (up 1.4% year-on-year), the number of deals plummeted from 252 to 174, and funding for early-stage companies dropped from $25 million to just $9 million. Capital is concentrating among larger, later-stage businesses, leaving the seed stage—a critical...