Lagos has been identified as the world’s fastest-growing tech city for 2025 by the Netherlands-based research firm Dealroom.co.

The city, Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, leads ahead of Istanbul, Turkey, and Pune, India, according to the recently released Global Tech Ecosystem Index 2025 report.

Dealroom.co, which provides data on start-ups, growth companies, and tech ecosystems globally, classified Lagos under its ‘Rising Stars’ category of tech cities.

The report noted that Lagos has produced five unicorns—Interswitch, Flutterwave, Jumia, OPay, and Moniepoint—setting it apart as an attractive location for emerging enterprises.

“This year, Lagos (#1) is topping the list, having created five unicorns and grown its ecosystem valuation 11.6x since 2017 despite having a smaller economy,” the report stated.

Following Lagos in the ranking are Istanbul and Pune, with other cities such as Belo Horizonte and Curitiba in Brazil, Mumbai in India, and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia also mentioned.

The Rising Star category focuses on fast-growing tech ecosystems, stressing growth in enterprise value and unicorn creation, while adjusting for local GDP per capita and living costs. The list includes cities from emerging markets in Africa, India, Turkey, and Brazil.

The growth of Lagos’s tech sector has coincided with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration. The Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC) has allocated N1 billion in grants available to startups.

Information and Strategy Commissioner, Gbenga Omotoso, praised the report, quoting Governor Sanwo-Olu: “We are thrilled but not surprised because of the hard work that our youths are doing. We plan to make Lagos a big centre for tech experts. If Microsoft or Google and other giants are looking for good hands, there will be a big pool from which they can draw.”

Sanwo-Olu also noted the ongoing activity at tech hubs, saying, “Thousands of our youths are busy at tech hubs, using technology to resolve everyday challenges. We will keep encouraging them.”

Lagos has been receiving increasing recognition, with Time Out Magazine recently naming it one of the three best African cities for 2025.