Ogbomoso city skyline at golden hour

    Ogbomoso, Nigeria / Live

    Ogbomoso is open for business. And the world is noticing.

    A 1650 warrior city. A 30,000+ student university. A king with a 25-year vision. Founders who chose to stay.

    See what's being built

    At a glance

    The shape of the city, in seven numbers.

    Most populous, SW Nigeria

    3rd

    650,000+ residents, after Lagos & Ibadan.

    Ranked for human capital

    12th

    Among Nigeria's top cities. 50K+ skilled workers. Statisense, 2025.

    Of deliberate ecosystem commitment

    14 yrs

    JD's investment, formalised via Ennovate Lab in 2017.

    Ennovate Lab as anchor hub

    7+ yrs

    Operating since Nov 2017, the city's first innovation hub & seed fund.

    Cashew market value

    ~$21M

    ≈5% of global cashew supply originates here.

    Arable land

    120K ha

    Includes 4,800 acres being developed by Hastom Nigeria.

    Cities worldwide

    Top 1,000

    For innovation & opportunity. Statisense, 2025.

    Ventures

    Punching far above their weight. World-class companies that happen to call Ogbomoso home.

    image · to be added
    Ecosystem Builder

    Ennovate Lab

    Innovation hub + startup foundry · Ogbomoso

    An anchor institution that has spent seven years building the connective tissue an ecosystem requires, and just opened the first purpose-built innovation park in the community.

    Founded
    November 2017
    Mission
    Transform underserved university communities through tech, entrepreneurship & placemaking
    Innovation park
    First purpose-built park in the community, commissioned June 2025
    Park facilities
    Co-working, private offices, high-speed internet, training rooms, music studio, restaurant, crèche, makerspace, apartments
    Location advantage
    2-minute walk from LAUTECH (30,000 students)
    Also runs
    Qeola, digital agency (software, branding, marketing)
    Non-profit arm
    Children That Change the World (CTCTW), tens of thousands of students impacted
    Global learning
    CcHUB Design Lab (Kigali) exchange partnership
    Focus sectors
    Edtech, healthtech, fintech, greentech

    First purpose-built innovation park · Commissioned June 2025.

    image · to be added
    Biotech · Life Sciences

    Genomac Holdings

    Founder: Oluwaseyi Olawale · Ogbomoso

    A biotech powerhouse operating from Ogbomoso that has trained over 80,000 people in 120+ countries. Their software for AMR tracking and precision medicine is cutting-edge work with global health implications.

    People trained
    80,000+
    Countries reached
    120+
    Core expertise
    Genomics, bioinformatics, AMR tracking, precision medicine, AI-driven omics
    Software developed
    AMR tracking tools; mRNA vaccine design pipelines
    US incorporation
    Genomac Institute Inc. (USA), adds global certification credibility
    Academic partners
    100+ high-ranking academic officials and stakeholders
    Location
    LAUTECH Road, Ogbomoso (Under G)
    Programmes
    Online international scholarship, bootcamps, industrial training, internships

    80,000+ trained · 120+ countries reached.

    image · to be added
    Biomedical Research

    Helix Biogen Institute

    Founder: Dr. Oladipo Elijah Kolawole, Ph.D · Ogbomoso

    At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Kolawole led his Helix Biogen team to develop a vaccine candidate formally recognized by the World Health Organization. Groundbreaking science, originating from Ogbomoso.

    WHO recognition
    COVID-19 vaccine candidate, ranked #61 of 185 globally; 2nd from Africa; 1st from Nigeria
    Cholera vaccine
    Candidate developed using AI methodology; under peer review
    International partnership
    ANESVAD Foundation, Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) diagnostics
    Research focus
    Vaccine design, pharmacotherapies, diagnostic AI, point-of-care kits
    Founder affiliations
    Visiting Assoc. Professor, Birmingham University (UK); International Fellow, Indian Council of Medical Research; AU-STRC Fellow
    Academic background
    BSc, MSc, PhD, all from LAUTECH, Ogbomoso
    Also developed
    mRNA vaccines against Mpox, Lassa, Mokola, and other pathogens

    WHO-ranked #61 of 185 globally · 2nd from Africa · 1st from Nigeria.

    Jaza Energy
    Cleantech · Energy

    Jaza Energy

    Canadian-origin startup · Nigeria & Tanzania operations

    A Canadian clean-energy startup making alternative energy affordable for communities struggling with power reliability. When a global company plants its flag in your city, that's a signal the market reads.

    Mission
    Affordable, accessible solar energy for underserved African communities
    Model
    Solar-powered hubs + rechargeable battery rental subscription
    People reached
    100,000+ (Nigeria & Tanzania)
    Homes powered
    11,500+
    Battery swaps delivered
    3,000,000+
    IHS Nigeria deal
    250 solar hubs at telecom towers; ~200,000 more people targeted by end 2025
    CO₂ reduction target
    ~33,000 tonnes CO₂e over the 7-year IHS agreement
    Women employed
    250+ "Jaza Stars", local women run each hub
    Award
    EEP Africa Scale Up Project of the Year 2021
    Operating since
    2017 (Tanzania); 2021 (Nigeria)
    Investor
    Madiro (joined Oct 2023); expansion to Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire planned

    100,000+ people reached · 11,500+ homes powered · 3M+ battery swaps.

    Alaafia
    Fintech · Micro-lending

    Alaafia

    Founder: Samson Oladapo · Ogbomoso

    Micro-lending for nano-businesses, powered by proprietary community intelligence built through deep ethnographic research. A credit model global fintech has struggled to crack at this level of the market.

    Product
    Micro-lending service for nano-businesses
    Default rate since launch
    Zero
    Differentiation
    Proprietary community intelligence from deep listening and ethnographic research
    Target segment
    Nano-businesses (the micro-informal economy)

    Zero default rate since launch.

    Hastom Nigeria
    Agribusiness · City Dev

    Hastom Nigeria

    Founder: Debo Thomas Olushola · Ogbomoso

    A self-made agripreneur who has attracted over $75M in agro-investments into Ogbomoso. Now carving out 4,800 acres from his own landholdings to build a new city within Ogbomosoland. Not a concept. A commitment.

    Agro-investment attracted
    $75M+ into Ogbomoso
    Land held
    Extensive landholdings in Ogbomosoland
    City-building project
    4,800 acres carved out for a new city within Ogbomosoland
    Profile
    Self-made agripreneur; bootstrapped to scale

    $75M+ attracted · 4,800 acres for a new city.

    Edozzier
    Enterprise Software · ERP

    Edozzier

    Enterprise software · Ogbomoso

    ERP software built in Ogbomoso that has given North American incumbents genuine competition, winning market share locally and internationally.

    Product
    ERP software for businesses
    Market position
    Competing with and winning market share from North American incumbents
    Traction
    Growing market share locally and internationally

    Competing with, and winning share from, North American incumbents.

    Brave Redemptive Fellowship
    Tech · Talent

    Brave Redemptive Fellowship

    Residential tech & entrepreneurship fellowship · Ogbomoso

    A residential fellowship that attracted 467 applications from 18 countries, and accepted just 5%. The selectivity is the message, world-class talent is choosing Ogbomoso. That does not happen by accident.

    Nature
    Residential tech and entrepreneurship fellowship
    Applications received
    467
    Countries represented
    18
    Acceptance rate
    ~5%
    Signal
    Global talent attracted to a Tier-2 Nigerian city

    467 applicants · 18 countries · ~5% acceptance.

    image · to be added
    Video · Infrastructure Tech

    Video Livestreaming Startup

    Founder: Orisamika Oluwabunmi · Ogbomoso

    Video livestreaming purpose-built for low-bandwidth African networks, not borrowed from Silicon Valley.

    Product
    Livestreaming optimised for low-bandwidth contexts
    Market fit
    Designed for African networks; continent-wide applicability

    Built for Africa's reality. Designed to scale continent-wide.

    Konkere Designs
    Design · Manufacturing
    Watch film

    Konkere Designs

    Afro-urban design studio · Ogbomoso

    Afro-urban concrete furniture that fuses bold African aesthetic sensibility with contemporary design language. Selected by the Ibukun Awosika Leadership Academy as one of Africa's finest export-ready brands, and exhibited at African Marketplace Dubai 2025.

    Product
    Afro-urban lightweight concrete furniture
    Dubai 2025
    Selected for African Marketplace Dubai · Grand Hyatt · Nov 12–15
    Curated by
    IALA — verified export-ready African SME
    Material advantage
    Durable, weather-resistant, customisable, indoor + outdoor

    Selected for African Marketplace Dubai 2025 · Grand Hyatt, Nov 12–15.

    SQI College of ICT
    Education · ICT

    SQI College of ICT

    Tertiary institution · Headquartered in Ogbomoso

    From a one-room training centre in Ogbomoso to a nationally accredited college with 8 campuses across 4 cities in 4 years. Proof of what Ogbomoso-born ideas can do when given room to grow.

    Headquarters
    Ogbomoso, Nigeria
    Campuses
    8 across 4 cities
    Time to scale
    From one-room training centre to nationally accredited college in 4 years
    Focus
    Information & Communications Technology training
    Signal
    Ogbomoso-born institution scaling nationally

    8 campuses · 4 cities · 4 years · nationally accredited.

    GradePlus Africa
    Edtech · Talent

    GradePlus Africa

    EdTech · Career & cognitive development · Pan-African

    An EdTech company guiding African students and professionals toward careers aligned with their personalities, while sharpening the cognitive and professional skills they need to thrive. Built for a continent where over 75% of the population is under 35.

    Mission
    Guide African students and professionals into careers aligned with their personalities and innate interests
    Signature tool
    Career-personality congruence test, predicting traits and recommending Africa-relevant courses and career paths
    Users impacted
    10,000+ individuals
    Countries reached
    20+
    Cognitive courses
    Teach users 'how to learn', a skill rarely taught in traditional school systems
    Professional courses
    Sharpen career-specific skills to help users excel in their chosen fields
    Context
    Africa has the world's youngest population, over 75% under 35
    Outcome
    Higher career confidence, stronger cognitive agility, sustained relevance in the 21st-century economy

    10,000+ users · 20+ countries reached.

    Additional ecosystem data points

    25-year development plan
    Championed by the Soun of Ogbomoso + industry leaders
    Potential new state capital
    Ogbomoso, on the table as next Oyo State capital
    Statisense recognition
    Recognized for exceptional growth across multiple sectors
    Ilorin Airport proximity
    30 minutes, an underreported logistics advantage
    Cost of living
    Lower than Lagos / Ibadan with higher quality-of-life potential
    Ogbomoso Digital Economy Summit
    Annual; Genomac, Helix Biogen, SQI College of ICT among participants

    Active sectors

    • Cleantech / Energy
    • Video / Streaming Tech
    • Biotech / Genomics
    • Biomedical Research
    • Fintech / Micro-lending
    • Enterprise Software
    • Tech Fellowship / Talent
    • Agritech / Urban Dev
    • Design / Manufacturing
    • Civic Infrastructure

    Global footprint indicators

    Jaza: countries active
    Nigeria + Tanzania; 5 more planned
    Genomac: countries trained
    120+
    Helix Biogen: WHO rank
    Top 61 globally (COVID vaccine)
    Brave Redemptive: applicant countries
    18
    Edozzier: markets
    Nigeria + North America
    NBTS: student origin
    Nigeria + West Africa

    Continue

    The infrastructure, the timeline, the conviction, keep scrolling to see what's been built.

    Scroll