Mantle Developer Meetup Spurs Momentum for Nigeria’s Web3 Ecosystem
By Kate Balogun
Over 200 developers, founders, and Product managers gathered at Cafe one in Yaba on July 5 for the Mantle Developer Meetup, a one-day event aimed at transforming Nigeria’s Web3 pain points into scalable, global products.
Organised by MantleDevs in collaboration with Web3Afrika, the event shifted away from typical pitch sessions and theoretical debates. Instead, it delivered a data-backed, solution-driven dialogue that could mark a turning point in the country’s blockchain ecosystem.
The highlight of the day was a high-powered panel session titled “From Local Problems to Global Products: Scaling Nigeria’s Web3 Startups.” Moderated by media strategist and community organiser Atinuke Oluwabamikemi Kayode, the panel featured four professionals actively building across engineering, growth, and regulation.
Victory Adugbo, blockchain specialist at Sail Innovation Lab, noted that Nigeria’s most promising crypto export may not be another token or protocol, but rather stablecoin payments especially for tuition, SaaS subscriptions, and rent. According to him, capital is not the primary challenge. “The real bottleneck is credibility,” he said. “Demonstrate traction and compliance readiness, and the cheques will follow.”
Web3Bridge founder Ayodeji Awosika stressed the need for Nigerian developers to contribute to global codebases to enhance their skills and networks. “The bigger and better the code base they see and work with, the more quality they will bring into the products and companies they eventually build,” he said. “It also improves their earning potential, which removes financial pressure when launching their own ventures.”
Opeyemi Stephen of Gaia AI and Mercy Thaddeus both echoed the importance of product design and user experience, especially for public-facing applications. Thaddeus emphasised that interface and accessibility often determine whether or not a product will gain traction, particularly in underserved communities.
All speakers agreed that without proper regulation, clear data, and compelling narratives, innovative code alone is not enough. They collectively called for stronger storytelling and strategic communication to support local blockchain projects in gaining international traction.
The panel session followed a series of technical masterclasses. Desmond Obisi showcased the speed of EVM indexers using SubQuery, reminding the audience that “data is the new DAO.” Glory Praise Emmanuel presented a session on the power of storytelling in hackathons, stating that, “Judges remember the stories they can retell, not just clean code.” Oluwaseun Raphael Afolayan bridged artificial intelligence and Web3 in a demonstration of generative dApps powered by MCP that adapt to user context in real-time.
To build further momentum, Mantle officially announced Cookathon Season 3, a monthly hackathon series featuring a $15,000 prize pool and competitive tracks spanning DeFi, AI, and more. Registration opened that same Monday, sparking immediate hallway collaborations and team formations over casual meetups and plates of jollof rice.
Earlier in the week, the organisers hosted two well-attended Twitter (X) Spaces sessions “How to Win Hackathons” and “You’re Talented, So Why Isn’t It Working?” which drew over 1,200 listeners. These conversations echoed the tone of the Lagos meetup, offering candid insights for Nigeria’s growing tech workforce.
The biggest takeaway for most attendees was not material there were no swag bags or souvenirs but intangible: new GitHub repositories, Telegram channels, and a shared resolve to position stablecoin-based products as Nigeria’s next big fintech export.
“This wasn’t a pep rally,” Kayode concluded. “It was a roadmap. Now let’s cook!”
With the right mix of technical skill, community drive, and narrative clarity, many now believe Nigeria’s Web3 ecosystem is not just growing it’s preparing to lead.
