HOOK: A Plateau Story
“TechFest 2025 felt like a spark,” said one young enthusiast from Rayfield. “It wasn’t just an event. It was the moment Northern Nigeria realized it could lead Africa’s AI future.”
Held on Thursday, 4th December 2025, at Sarau Event Center in Jos, the festival brought together creatives, developers, startups, policymakers, and students to explore a single idea:
“Where Innovation Meets Intelligence.”
(A theme drawn directly from this year’s AI Summit script.)
This recap breaks down every keynote, panel, fireside chat, product showcase, and moment that defined the day.
And importantly, how it strengthens Africa’s growing AI ecosystem.
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the official Jos Tech Fest 2025 recap, the most comprehensive summary of everything that happened, using verified program details from the final itinerary and speaker insights from the AI Summit Script.
Whether you attended physically or followed online, this guide shows you:
- The innovations unveiled
- The AI tools shaping Africa
- The standout founders
- And the real opportunities ahead for Northern Nigeria
- With internal links to our AI pillar page for deeper reading:
👉 https://creativetechafrica.blog/ai-in-africa-guide/
Let’s dive into the future that was unveiled in Jos.
The Current Landscape of AI in Africa (2025 Data)
Africa’s AI sector has moved from emerging to accelerating.
Key 2025 Stats
- Africa’s AI startup funding crossed $650M in 2024 (Partech Africa).
- Over 450 AI-focused startups now operate across the continent (Briter Bridges Intelligence).
- Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Ghana, and Rwanda lead adoption.
- Northern Nigeria’s tech communities (Jos, Kaduna, Kano) saw a 40% rise in developer engagement (Google Africa Developer Report).
In this context, Jos Tech Fest mattered.
It wasn’t just regional; it plugged Northern Nigeria into the continental AI conversation.
Keynote: “Creatives Unlocked Building the Future with AI”
The keynote set the tone: AI is no longer a tool; it’s a creative partner.
The speaker explored how:
- AI accelerates design and UI/UX workflows
- AI empowers digital storytellers
- Content creators can scale using automation
- African cultural narratives can thrive with generative tools
- Young innovators can build and ship ideas faster than ever
A strong message echoed:
Creativity is becoming Africa’s new export.
AI in Education — Transforming Learning
This panel demonstrated AI’s impact on academic inclusion, assessment, and adaptive learning.
And with African Intelligence (AI-powered EdTech platform) speaking in the script:
“We’re not just teaching skills… we’re shaping the next generation of innovators.”
Key takeaways:
- AI for personalized learning
- AI tutors for remote communities
- Assessment automation
- Digital literacy for young Africans
FIRESIDE CHAT 1: Scaling With Limited Resources
A founder shared the honest side of innovation:
- Starting with almost nothing
- Building with community support
- Leveraging low-cost AI tools
- Iterating quickly
- Managing failure and learning
This connected deeply with students and early-stage innovators.
PANEL 2: AI in Business — Growth & Productivity
Highlights from Laskad (AI WhatsApp fintech):
“Business tools should be where people already are… AI makes it smarter. Simplicity makes it unstoppable.”
Topics:
- AI for SMEs
- Inventory + finance automation
- AI chat-based business management
- WhatsApp commerce
- Local business transformation
This panel showed the real economic potential of Nigerian SMEs using AI.
PANEL 3: AI for Developers — Productivity & Automation
Kofounda’s message hit strongly:
“Speed is the new currency for creators… What took days now takes minutes.”
This panel:
- Demonstrated AI code generation
- Showed workflow automation
- Highlighted faster prototyping
- Encouraged developers to embrace AI collaboration
Jos is quietly becoming a developer-friendly city, and this session proved it.
FIRESIDE CHAT 2: Creativity, Culture & Technology
Discussions included:
- AI’s role in preserving culture
- Ethical storytelling
- Building culturally authentic content using AI
- Creative career opportunities for Northern Nigeria youth
AI for Creatives — Empowering Artists & Designers
AI tools now help creatives:
- Generate concepts
- Storyboard films
- Sketch UI/UX
- Produce music
- Design fashion
- Build animated content
- Accelerate branding/identity design
The panel emphasized a key truth:
AI won’t replace African creativity; it amplifies it.
PRODUCT SHOWCASES — Part 1 & 2
Showcased innovations included:
1. African Intelligence — EdTech AI
Personalized learning, assessments, and teacher support.
2. Kofounda — Developer Productivity Tool
Build websites in minutes.
3. Laskad — WhatsApp Fintech for SMEs
Business management + payments.
4. Jummai — AI Tools for Women Entrepreneurs
A major highlight.
“This isn’t just technology. It’s empowerment.”
5. Transport+ — AI Mobility System
Movement, routing, logistics for Africa.
Jos Tech Fest gave a platform to bold ideas built in Northern Nigeria for Africa.
NETWORKING & INVESTOR CIRCLES
Founders connected with:
- Investors
- Tech builders
- Future collaborators
- Product testers
- Students seeking mentorship
Many meaningful partnerships were formed here.
Photo Highlights: Jos Tech Fest 2025 Gallery
CHALLENGES AFRICAN CREATORS STILL FACE
- Unstable power & internet
- Low AI literacy
- Limited funding
- Need for better distribution pipelines
- Talent retention
- Access to quality devices
These challenges didn’t dim the excitement; they sharpened the mission.
OPPORTUNITIES & NEXT STEPS (Actionable)
Students
- Start an AI learning journey
- Join local hubs
- Build simple projects
Founders
- Digitize processes
- Explore AI-native business models
- Leverage WhatsApp-based AI tools
Creatives
- Use generative AI for content
- Automate repetitive tasks
Developers
- Start integrating AI agents
- Build prototypes faster
- Join open-source AI projects
FUTURE OUTLOOK (2026–2030)
Expect:
- Drastic rise in AI adoption in Northern Nigeria
- Government-backed tech initiatives
- More AI-driven SMEs
- Growth of creative AI startups
- Jos is becoming a learning and innovation hub
- Expansion of mobility-tech and AI commerce
Jos Tech Fest 2025 was not an end, it was a signal.
Founders to Watch
- African Intelligence – EdTech AI for the continent
- Kofounda – Developer productivity revolution
- Jummai – AI for women entrepreneurs
- Transport+ – Mobility AI for Africa
FAQs (7)
- Where was Jos Tech Fest 2025 held?
Sarau Event Center, Jos. - What was the theme?
“Where Innovation Meets Intelligence.” - What was the main focus this year?
AI for education, business, creatives, SMEs, and developers. - Who attended?
Students, creatives, founders, policymakers, startups, and tech enthusiasts. - Were there product showcases?
Yes, multiple AI startups demonstrated live products. - Is Jos becoming a tech hub?
Yes, the festival proved to have growing community momentum.
How can I attend next year?
Follow creativetechafrica.blog for updates.
CONCLUSION
Jos Tech Fest 2025 proved one thing:
Northern Nigeria isn’t waiting for innovation; it’s creating it.
And the continent is watching.
