February 21, 2026. Lagos. 100 founders. One mission: build startups that don’t break under legal scrutiny.
What started in Kigali as an experiment in authentic founder conversations is coming to Lagos and it’s bringing something Nigerian tech rarely talks about openly: the compliance gap that kills promising startups.
Baraza Lagos: Tech Compliance & Legal Summit isn’t another pitch event or networking circus. It’s a 100-person advisory session designed around a single question: How do you build a tech company that’s scalable, investment-ready, and legally bulletproof?
The answer, according to organizers like Semudara Abayomi and Abisinuola Adedeji, isn’t more inspiration. It’s honest conversations about the regulatory minefields founders navigate daily and the practical tools to avoid them.
From Kigali to Lagos: The Baraza Model
The name comes from the Swahili word for “council” or “gathering” and that’s precisely the vibe. Not panels with polished slides. Not keynotes from people who haven’t built recently.
When Baraza launched in Kigali in November 2025, it attracted participants from seven countries and served as a pre-mixer for larger ecosystem gatherings like Norrsken Africa Week. Lagos inherits that model but adds a critical partner: the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Branch. This means founders get direct access to the legal expertise that determines whether a startup scales or stalls at Series A due diligence.
What Founders Actually Get
1. Compliance That Unlocks Capital
VCs invest in structures that won’t blow up during due diligence. Baraza Lagos tackles the unsexy fundamentals:
- Corporate structuring that survives scrutiny.
- Equity distributions and vesting schedules.
- IP protection and NDPR (Data Privacy) compliance.
2. Regulatory Navigation
African landscapes are fragmented. Sessions break down how to actually navigate:
- CBN guidelines for fintechs.
- SEC rules for crypto and web3.
- Cross-border compliance for regional scaling.
3. The 100-Person Advantage
By capping attendance at 100, Baraza ensures connection quality. Past attendees from Kigali report pitch decks refined on the spot, co-founders found, and investor intros made through these high-trust interactions.
Who This Is For
- Founders raising or planning to raise (Seed to Series A+).
- Co-founders navigating equity splits or governance.
- Operators building compliance into company culture.
- Lawyers & Legal Practictioners
The Details
- What: Baraza Lagos: Tech Compliance & Legal Summit 2026
- When: February 21, 2026
- Where: Lagos, Nigeria (CafeOne, Yaba)
- Tickets: nestuge.com/baraza
- Capacity: 100 seats (strictly limited)