Nigeria has slipped to 66th position in the 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Index by StartupBlink, falling two spots from its previous rank of 64th in 2024.
Regionally, Nigeria also dropped to fourth place in Africa, recording the lowest growth rate among the top seven African countries at under 6%.
According to StartupBlinks, countries’ startup ecosystem are scored based on the activity level of the ecosystem; the impact and success of the activity in the ecosystem; and how supportive the overall conditions are for startup growth.
The StartupBlink report shows that Nigeria continues to stand out in Africa for its vibrant internal market of over 200 million people, projected to double by 2050.
The country leads Africa’s unicorn list, with fast-growing companies such as Flutterwave and OPay, and is home to Jumia Group, a pan-African e-commerce and fintech giant.
Fintech remains the dominant sector in Nigeria’s startup scene, accounting for a significant share of innovation and investor interest.
Despite persistent challenges, including limited financing, low consumer purchasing power, and infrastructure gaps, the country’s startup ecosystem is backed by a mix of public and private support.
Despite this overall dip, Nigeria continues to dominate West Africa’s startup landscape, maintaining its leading position in the region since 2021.
Six Nigerian cities made it into the top 10 startup cities in West Africa, and six also ranked in the global top 1,000. However, most of these cities experienced a decline in rank, raising concerns about the country’s ability to sustain startup momentum.
