As the hustle and bustle of the ever-bubbly city of Lagos gave way to the gentle lull of the night on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, over 250 innovators, tech enthusiasts, investors, creators, business leaders and captains of industry gathered in Lagos, Nigeria, for an evening of conversations on the future of Africa’s digital landscape dubbed DICE (Digital Innovation & Creative Excellence).
For over two hours and through multiple engaging and interactive sessions, including an AMA session with ecosystem leaders, panel sessions on the creative and startup economy, as well as spoken word and music performances, these tech professionals and entrepreneurs explored the theme “Solve for Africa: Co-Creating a Tech-Enabled Future,” probing for fresh knowledge and galvanising one another towards collective actions that can propel Africa’s burgeoning tech community towards further exploits.
With an impressive lineup of business leaders, startup founders, creators and other key ecosystem leaders present, this was no gathering of mere men and women. The quality of insights and thoughts exchanged, more than anything else, underscored the relevance and timeliness of such an event.
While the success of the African tech industry is no longer news, with significant progress being made in recent years to global acclaim, it’s also common knowledge that what has been done merely scratches the surface of what is achievable on the continent.
“We are at the cusp of a technological revolution in Africa. Harnessing this potential requires a collective effort, innovation, and synergy among diverse stakeholders,” said Dr. Juliet Ehimuan, the esteemed convener of DICE, in a statement announcing the event.
And she should know. For 12 years, Dr. Ehimuan was a director at Google, first for Nigeria and later for West Africa, where she played a pivotal role in expanding the company’s presence in the country and region. She is also the founder of Beyond Limits, an organisation committed to bridging gaps and empowering the next generation of tech leaders on the continent.
Beyond Limits is leveraging collaboration with other stakeholders in the ecosystem to create an empowered, inclusive, and thriving environment that not only addresses the unique challenges of Africa but also unlocks its enormous potential. Although Dr Ehimuan has left her position at Google, she remains focused on driving digital transformation across Africa and growing the African tech ecosystem.
“We have a unique opportunity to leverage technology to solve some of the most pressing challenges facing our continent, from healthcare to education to governance,” she said. “But we cannot do it alone. We need to co-create solutions that are relevant, scalable, and sustainable for our context.”
And if the turnout at the DICE Mixer is anything to go by, many industry players agree with her. Among the oversubscribed turnout of more than 250 attendees were seasoned business leaders, operators, founders, and government leaders such as Group MD of Zenith Bank, Ebenezer Onyeagwu; the US Consul General, Will Stevens; Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Odein Ajumogobia; Former Minister of Trade and Investment, Okey Enelemah; Head of Austrian Embassy Commercial section, Barbara Lehninger; Founder & CEO of MainOne, Funke Opeke; General Partner at Ventures Platform, Kola Aina; Lagos state Commissioner for MCCT&I, Folasade Ambrose-Medebem; Founder, Chairman of Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) and several tech company boards, Dotun Sulaiman; and Chairman of CHAMS Group, Demola Aladekomo.
Other speakers and attendees include Founder and General Partner at Future Africa, Iyin Aboyeji; General Partner of Acasia Ventures, Biola Alabi; Founder and CEO of Slot Systems Limited, Nnamdi Ezeigbo; Managing Director of Google Africa, Alex Okosi; CEO of Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, Olumide Oyetan; Managing Partner and CEO of Mediafuse, Emeka Okeke; CEO of Outsource Global, Amal Hassan Wada; CEO of HerVest, Solape Akinpelu; Co-founder and CEO of Shuttlers, Damilola Olokesusi; amongst others. The mixer also had entertainers and lifestyle influencers, including Broda Shaggi, Alex Unusual, Taaooma, Tomike Adeoye, and Miss Techy in attendance.
The event delivered on its promise to create an “organic, personal, and exclusive ambience” to leave attendees “feeling inspired, armed with fresh ideas, and empowered by new strategic connections.”
“I attended the #DICEMixer last week, and I totally enjoyed it,” Oritseminomi Ogbe, a digital media professional, wrote on Instagram. “Firstly, it was held in a not-your-normal place to hold tech events (A CLUB), and when I walked in, I saw why. I loved the creative panel session and learned so much from the speakers as they shared insights into the creative industry. Thank you to Juliet Ehimuan, founder of Beyond Limits, for hosting. Looking forward to the next one,” she added.
Another attendee, a startup founder, added that he “made nine new connections that would be valuable for my startup, and I am so grateful”, said Ayokunle Omoniyi, founder of data tech company Melon.
“It was great to see captains of industry and established tech leaders bring their expertise to the fore, genuinely connecting and networking with emerging leaders, startup founders and innovators, bringing the entire ecosystem together in a powerful way,” an excited Juliet Ehimuan wrote in an Instagram post after the event.
“We are delighted about the success of this first-of-its-kind gathering, and we look forward to future DICE events bringing the ecosystem together and fostering connections, innovation, and knowledge sharing,” she added.
A truly landmark event, the DICE mixer offered a peek into the limitless opportunities yet to unfold in the tech ecosystem in Nigeria and Africa.