In the heart of Lagos, Africa’s biggest city, sits a sprawling, bustling market stacked with almost every tech product imaginable and known informally as “Computer Village.” Here, amongst a maze of shops and complexes, vendors serve thousands of Nigerians every day looking to buy or fix mobile phones, computers, hard drives, microchips and software.
The market, estimated by a former government minister to generate $2 billion a year, has become an important cog in the local tech ecosystem. It’s also been a critical source of employment, as hundreds of independent tech-savvy vendors hustle for commissions on sales at big stores, or walk the street market in search of profits on second-hand items and repairs.
But that’s about to change.
