Three years of covering tech and innovation in Northern Nigeria
Three years ago, Johnstone Kpilaakaa began his journey at Bendada.com as a freelance contributor chronicling the tech scene in Northern Nigeria. He later became a senior reporter and an acting editorial team lead. He reflects on his experiences and ponders his next steps.
Sometimes, a single conversation can change the trajectory of your entire career.
These words were brought to life during a serendipitous Sunday night in Abuja. I was attending a week-long campus journalism training programme when I found myself exchanging stories about journalism and freelance opportunities with Ope Adetayo, Nigeria's correspondent for Reuters, and Agbaje Ayomide, publisher of TechGyrant.
Before that night, my reporting experience was limited to covering Benue and Plateau states for UDEME, a social accountability project of the then Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (now the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development). I even hosted a tech radio show on campus, but the idea of getting published by national and international outlets felt far out of reach. Yet, that conversation opened up a new world for me.
Back home in Jos, fuelled by the excitement of possibility, I began pitching stories to tech editors across Nigeria. I faced my share of rejections, but each one taught me resilience. The breakthrough came with my pitch on uLesson, a Pan-African edtech startup that was relocating its headquarters from Jos to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. I knew I had a unique perspective, and when Benjamin Dada, founder of Bendada.com (now Condia), saw the value in my pitch, he commissioned the piece. That story opened the door to a new career path.
The breakthrough
When Bendada advertised a tech reporter position, I knew it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. After interviews with Hachi and Benjamin, I was offered the role, stepping into a space where my passion for tech journalism could flourish. The job allowed me to explore a region often overlooked in tech reporting.
Northern Nigeria—comprising cities like Jos, Kaduna, Kano, and Makurdi—was teeming with innovation. Entrepreneurs like Zang Luka Bot, who upcycles e-waste into power banks, were doing incredible work, but national narratives of conflict and poverty overshadowed their stories.
As a staff reporter covering the entire continent, it didn’t stop me from shining a light on this underreported region while still fulfilling my broader responsibilities.
Despite these challenges, the Northern Nigerian tech scene was starting to garner attention. A pivotal moment came when Sudo Africa, a fintech startup co-founded by alumni of the CoLab in Kaduna, raised $3.7 million in pre-seed funding. The news sent ripples through the local community, signalling the immense potential of the region’s talent pool.
Despite these strides, challenges persist. Investors like Iyin Aboyeji, founding partner of Future Africa, point to the need for adequately trained hubs and incubators as a primary hurdle. These institutions are crucial for nurturing startups, but many in the North lack the capacity to transfer skills effectively.
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Government and private sector initiatives like the Kaduna Technology City, Code Plateau and 3MTT are crucial in addressing this gap. These programs equip young people with the skills and resources they need to thrive in the tech industry. However, the discontinuity of government programmes under successive administrations continues to pose a significant obstacle.
Additionally, northern Nigeria’s tech startups continue to face funding challenges. A 2023 report found that only 6% of surveyed startups in the region had secured investment. However, the momentum is building, and with ongoing efforts to support talent, infrastructure, and access to capital, Northern Nigeria is on the cusp of a tech-driven transformation.
The recent announcement of a $20 million fund by Aduna Capital and former governor Nasir El-Rufai's plan to launch a $100 million venture capital fund are promising steps toward addressing these limitations.
Exploring northern Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem
This region can become a significant player in Africa's digital landscape, not just with one success story like Sudo Africa but with many innovative startups improving today and shaping the future. Aboyeji's call to "Go North!" rings more accurate than ever.
Meanwhile, the rapid cryptocurrency adoption in Northern Nigeria is a fascinating trend. There's a lot to unpack there, and I hope Anda Usman, the growth manager at Bendada.com, and I will get to write about it someday.
My three years at Bendada.com went beyond covering tech in Northern Nigeria and Africa. Working with Benjamin proved to be a masterclass in media innovation. His trust and open environment allowed me to experiment and wear many hats–reporter, newsletter writer, and social media manager; some days, I would assist with business development.
One of my proudest accomplishments was co-creating Bendata, a data desk that has since been cited by Rest of World, Financial Times, Semafor Africa, and Stears.
These experiences instilled invaluable knowledge about building a sustainable media company.
Now, six months into the MTN Media Innovation Fellowship at the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University, where I’m pursuing a postgraduate certificate in media innovation, I’m grateful for the strong foundation Bendada provided. My experience in the newsroom has dovetailed perfectly with my academic pursuits, helping me sharpen my understanding of media innovation.
Special thanks to Daniel Adeyemi, my managing editor, who offered crucial guidance during my application for the fellowship. (And that’s one thing about the newsroom; the focus went beyond meeting KPIs. Every Monday, stand-up meetings began with weekend discussions, fostering a team spirit that made collaboration effortless.)
These memories, along with the incredible colleagues I've worked with, are what I'll miss most.
On June 3, I embarked on a new challenge as a sub-editor at HumAngle, a pan-African publication covering conflict, humanitarian and development issues. However, my heart will always have a place at Bendada, and I'm eager to see what the future holds for myself and the publication.
Fun Fact: My last feature story was on the online food delivery market in Northern Nigeria.
I'm immensely grateful to Benjamin for taking a chance on me, for the early morning and late night conversations, and for ensuring that I understand the technical side of everything I'm reporting especially the fintech sector.
Thanks to my first-line manager Hachi, Daniel Iyanda, and Daniel Adeyemi, for their guidance. To my past and present colleagues, Dara Stephen (we started together!), Emmanuel Akpan, Anda Usman, Andrew Christian, Eunice, Victory Emmanuel, guest contributors like Jeremiah Ajayi, and many others - you've all been incredible.
