The Africa Business Angel Network (ABAN) is celebrating its 10-year milestone by hosting its inaugural Annual Congress in Lagos, Nigeria, from 17–18 October 2025, under the theme “Accelerating Local Capital Participation.” Since its launch in 2015, ABAN has mobilized over US $35 million in early-stage investments and grown a network of more than 5,000 angel investors spanning 37 African countries and the diaspora. The Lagos gathering aims to bring together angel investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem builders to align strategies for a self-sustaining, Africa-led innovation ecosystem.
The Congress agenda centers on four strategic pillars: boosting participation of local and diaspora capital, advancing sector-specific investments in areas like fintech, agritech, cleantech, AI, edtech, health, the creative economy, and smart cities, advocating for enabling policy frameworks, and strengthening cross-border syndication networks to scale impactful ventures. Attendees can expect high-level panels, live pitch sessions, the launch of initiatives like Catalytic Africa 2.0 and the Africa Business Angel Investment Vehicle (ABAIV), and the unveiling of the ABAN Angel Investment Report 2025, alongside the ABAN Gala Awards, which will recognize leading ecosystem contributors.
This year’s Congress represents a pivotal moment for African capital markets, a call to action for stakeholders to ensure that innovation-generated wealth remains on the continent. With a growing investor base and gender-balanced leadership, ABAN is turning its decade-long journey into a launchpad for even greater investor education, inclusive policies, and co‑investment platforms as it aims to mobilize US $80 million in early-stage capital by 2027.