Lagos event shows Nigerian founders can tap global networks without leaving home

Nigerian founders are being given more opportunities to meet investors, business operators and professionals from the diaspora without having to leave the country to access those networks.

That was the focus of Limitless Without Borders (LWB) 4.0 Lagos, which was held on 15 August 2026 at Queens Park Events Centre in Victoria Island. The event brought together founders, investors, tech professionals and members of the Nigerian diaspora to discuss funding, skills, international expansion and the UK Innovator Founder Visa.

It was the first Nigerian edition of LWB, a platform founded by Rukayat Alabi. Alabi started LWB after moving from corporate banking into entrepreneurship. She also founded RKY Careers, a professional community that has grown to more than 100,000 members, with about 5,000 people having completed its upskilling programmes.

 LWB has spent the past four years working mainly with Nigerians in the UK. The Lagos event brings that work closer to the businesses and professionals operating in Nigeria.

A key part of Alabi's message has been that the Nigerian diaspora has more to offer the country than money sent home. Professionals working in the UK and other markets have experience in areas such as technology, corporate strategy and fundraising. 

LWB is looking to connect that experience with founders and professionals building businesses in Nigeria. The idea is fairly straightforward: a founder in Lagos does not necessarily need to relocate to London before being able to build relationships with people working there.

Founders pitch their businesses

The Lagos Launchpad gave early-stage founders an opportunity to pitch their businesses through the Pitch to Win segment. The competition included a prize package, while the pitches also gave founders an opportunity to present their companies to investors and business operators. For founders looking for funding, getting in front of investors is only part of the process.

 They also need to be able to explain the business clearly, show that there is demand for what they are selling and demonstrate how additional funding will help the company grow. That was the focus of a panel moderated by Alabi, titled “Funding Ready: How to Build a Business Investors Take Seriously”.

Nigerian founders and the UK visa

Scott Haughton, Founding Director and Chief Operating Officer of Envestors Limited, spoke about the UK Innovator Founder Visa. He said only around 35% to 40% of applications from Nigerian founders are endorsed.

 A business idea alone is not enough to get through the process. Haughton said applicants need to demonstrate that their businesses are innovative, viable and scalable in the UK market. For a founder considering the UK, this means having a business that can stand up to scrutiny in a different market, rather than simply having an existing company in Nigeria.

Skills are not enough on their own

Richard Chukwu, founder of Voceti Global, also spoke about what professionals need when looking for opportunities in international markets. His focus was on the difference between having a technical skill and being able to use that skill to solve a business problem. 

For example, knowing how to perform a particular technical function does not necessarily tell an employer or client what value that work will bring to the business. Being able to connect the skill to a specific problem and an outcome is what makes the difference.

What happens after Lagos?

TechCabal was a media partner for LWB 4.0 Lagos, alongside Shuttlers, AfricaNXT Build, LaerryBlue Media, Pressdia and Envestors. 

The event brought together several of the things founders need when trying to grow: access to investors, business expertise, skills and contacts outside their immediate market. But the success of the Lagos edition will ultimately come down to what happens after the event.

 If the pitches lead to investment, the introductions lead to partnerships and the conversations lead to new opportunities for founders, then LWB will have achieved something beyond putting people in the same room. For now, the Lagos edition gives LWB a base in one of Africa's biggest startup markets and gives Nigerian founders another place to find people who can help them take their businesses further.