Expert Urges African Tech Sector To Focus On Product Dev’t

Fund Operations Lead for Innovate Africa Fund, Chiebuka Obumselu, has stated that while innovation thrives across Africa, weak product execution remains a major hurdle, slowing down the growth of the continent’s tech ecosystem.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos ahead of ‘World Product Day’ scheduled for May 21, 2025, Obumselu highlighted the event’s goal of shifting the focus from funding rounds and media buzz to the foundational craft of product development.

According to her, “Many startups struggle to build scalable, user-centered products that can create lasting impact. Without strong execution, promising ideas fail to translate into sustainable businesses.

“World Product Day Lagos was born from a simple but important insight: ideas aren’t enough. It’s how you build that matters”

The event will feature product demos, Hackathon, career fair, fireside chats, roundtables, and interactive workshops, all aimed at equipping African product teams with actionable tools and strategies.

“This is a hands-on event. It’s not just about listening to panels. It’s about building, testing, hiring, and growing in real-time,” Obumselu noted.

She affirmed that this was designed to engage not only founders but also product managers, designers, researchers, engineers, and product operations leads, adding that the event was structured to foster practical learning.

“Every session is designed to give attendees a new tool, skill, or relationship they can use the next day,” she said.

The fund operation lead stressed that most African startups don’t fail due to lack of innovation, but because of weak execution. “We are creating a space where execution is celebrated. Where product rigour is the norm, not the afterthought,” she stated.

Similarly, she underscored the broader implications for the African tech ecosystem. “Africa doesn’t just need more startups. We need stronger products that solve real, local problems at scale,” she stated.

She asserted that the event is not just for dreamers, but for builders, those shipping, testing, iterating, and scaling.

“Product is the silent engine of successful companies. This event will help African builders master that engine,” she said.

Meanwhile, the winner of the 12 real-world challenges where bold builders will make their mark will be rewarded with the winning team to be awarded the $100,000 grand prize.