How to find a technical co-founder in Lagos

Finding a technical co-founder in Lagos is one of the hardest decisions you'll make as a founder—and also one of the most consequential. You can have the best business idea in Nigeria, but without someone who can actually build it, you're just a person with a spreadsheet. The problem is acute: Lagos has thousands of developers, but most are either heads-down in agencies, already committed to other projects, or not looking to take the equity-and-ramen-noodles route that early-stage startups demand.

This playbook walks you through the exact process we've seen work at LaunchPad—from identifying where technical talent actually congregates, to vetting for co-founder fit (which is different from vetting for a hire), to structuring the conversation so both of you know what you're signing up for. By the end, you'll know where to look, what questions to ask, and how to know if someone is actually the right person to build with for the next five years.

Why finding a technical co-founder is different from hiring an engineer

Before we get into the mechanics, you need to understand the fundamental difference. When you hire an engineer, you're buying their time and skills. When you find a technical co-founder, you're finding someone who will make decisions with you, take equity instead of full salary, and stay through the hard parts when the product doesn't work or the market rejects your idea.

A hired engineer leaves at 6 p.m. A co-founder is still thinking about your problem at 11 p.m. on a Friday. A hired engineer implements your spec. A co-founder pushes back on your spec because they see a better way.

This distinction matters because it changes where you look, who you approach, and what you're actually asking for. You're not looking for the most senior developer in Lagos. You're looking for someone with:

• Technical credibility (they can actually build what you're describing)
• Founder mentality (they've thought about starting something or have side projects)
• Complementary weaknesses (they're strong where you're weak)
• Genuine belief in the problem you're solving
• Willingness to work for equity and a below-market salary in year one

That last point filters out most of Lagos's employed senior engineers immediately. Which is fine—you don't want them anyway.

Where technical co-founder candidates actually are

The conventional wisdom is that all Lagos tech talent lives in Yaba or Lekki. That's partially true, but incomplete. Here's where you'll actually find people ready to co-found:

Yaba and the surrounding tech ecosystem: This is still the epicentre. Yaba has the density—Co-creation Hub, Outbox, Stutern, and dozens of smaller spaces house developers, designers, and product people who are already in "startup mode." The advantage: they're self-selected for founder ambition. The disadvantage: they're also being approached by every other founder with a half-baked idea. We've written about the actual differences between Yaba and Lekki bases for founders, but for technical recruitment, Yaba is your first stop.

GitHub and open-source communities: This is underused. Search GitHub for Nigerian developers (filter by location in their profile, or look for repos with Nigerian context—Paystack integrations, Flutterwave SDKs, M-Pesa implementations). Open-source contributors have proven they can ship code, handle feedback, and work on problems without immediate financial reward. That's founder DNA. You can see their actual work, their communication style in pull requests, and whether they care about code quality.

Twitter and technical communities: Developers in Lagos use Twitter. Search for hashtags like #NigerianTech, #LagosDev, #AfricanTech. Look for people sharing technical insights, building in public, or discussing problems in the Nigerian startup ecosystem. These are people thinking about the space, not just collecting paychecks.

University tech clubs and accelerators: UI, Covenant, LASU, and other universities have active tech clubs. Accelerator alumni (Techstars, Y Combinator, Anterra, Ventures Platform) are pre-screened for founder potential. They've already been through some version of founder training.

Existing startup networks: If you're in a founder community (Founders Institute, LaunchPad events, pitch competitions), you'll meet technical people. They're there for a reason—they're thinking about building something.

Your existing network: This is the most underrated source. Ask your friends, mentors, and former colleagues if they know someone technical who's restless, curious, or frustrated at their current job. Referrals carry information—if someone recommends a developer, they're implicitly vouching for character, not just skill.

The mistake most founders make is treating this like a job posting. You don't post on LinkedIn and wait for applications. You identify specific people, understand their situation, and make a compelling case for why this particular problem is worth their time.

The vetting process: from contact to coffee

Once you've identified someone, the vetting has three stages: initial signal, technical assessment, and co-founder fit.

Initial signal: Before you meet, do your homework. If they're on GitHub, look at their code. If they're on Twitter, read their recent tweets. If they're on LinkedIn, check their work history. You're looking for:

• Evidence they can actually code (not just talk about coding)
• Signs of curiosity and learning (recent projects, new skills, engagement with technical content)
• Any indication they've thought about founding or building their own thing
• Geographic proximity (Lagos-based or willing to relocate)

If someone has never shipped anything, never engaged with technical communities, and has only done salaried work, they might be capable, but the signal is weaker. Not disqualifying, but weaker.

The first conversation: This is not a job interview. It's a conversation. You're trying to understand:

1. What they're currently doing and why they might be open to something else
2. What problems they care about (technical or otherwise)
3. Whether they understand the specific problem you're solving
4. What they'd need to take the leap (salary floor, timeline, team size, etc.)

Don't lead with "Do you want to be my co-founder?" Lead with "I'm working on this problem in the Nigerian fintech space, and I think you'd have a unique perspective. Can I tell you about it?"

Listen more than you talk. If they're genuinely interested, they'll ask questions. If they're polite but uninterested, that's also useful information.

Technical assessment: This is where many founders get it wrong. You don't need to give them a coding test or algorithm challenge. You need to understand:

• Can they architect a system? (Ask them to describe how they'd build a specific feature for your product)
• Do they understand trade-offs? (Ask why they'd choose one technology over another)
• Can they communicate technical ideas clearly? (Can they explain their thinking without jargon?)
• Have they built things at scale? (Even if it's side projects, you want to know they've dealt with real constraints)

If you're not technical, bring someone who is—a technical advisor, a friend who codes, or someone from your network. You need a second opinion on whether this person can actually execute.

Co-founder fit: This is the hardest to assess, and it's where most partnerships fail. You're looking for:

• Work style compatibility: Do they prefer working alone or collaborating? Do they want to be told what to build, or do they want to shape the product? Do they work in sprints or iteratively?
• Risk tolerance: Are they comfortable with uncertainty? Can they handle pivots? Or do they need clear direction and predictability?
• Communication: Can they disagree without being defensive? Do they explain their thinking? Can they receive feedback?
• Commitment: What's their actual timeline? Can they go full-time in three months, or do they need to wind down a current project over six months? (Both are fine, but you need to know.)
• Values alignment: Do they care about the same things you do? If you're building a fintech product for underbanked Nigerians, does your potential co-founder actually believe that's a problem worth solving?

The best way to assess this is to spend time together outside of formal meetings. Grab lunch. Work on a small project together (even a weekend hackathon). See how they handle disagreement, how they respond to feedback, and whether they're genuinely excited or just being polite.

The financial and legal structure

Once you've decided to move forward, you need to get the structure right. This is where a lot of co-founder relationships break down later, so don't skip it.

Equity split: There's no universal answer, but here's the range we typically see work:

• 50/50: Rare, but works if you're genuinely equal partners with complementary skills. Most common in two-founder teams where both are taking equal risk.
• 60/40 or 55/45: More common. Usually reflects that one person (often the business founder) had the idea first, but the technical co-founder is taking on significant risk and responsibility.
• 70/30 or 75/25: Happens when the technical person is joining later, after the business founder has done significant work, or when one person is part-time initially.

The principle: equity should reflect risk, contribution, and opportunity cost. If your technical co-founder is leaving a six-figure salary to join you, that's different from someone leaving a freelance gig or their second job.

Salary: In 2026, junior developers in Lagos earn 800k–1.5m per month. Mid-level developers earn 1.5m–3m. Senior developers earn 3m+. As a co-founder, you'll typically pay 40–60% of market rate in year one, with the assumption that equity makes up the difference. So if your co-founder could earn 2m elsewhere, you might offer 800k–1.2m plus equity.

Be transparent about this. You're not hiding that you can't afford market rate—you're offering a trade: lower cash, higher equity, higher upside.

Vesting: Use a standard four-year vesting schedule with a one-year cliff. This means if your co-founder leaves in month 11, they get nothing. If they leave in year two, they keep 25%. This protects both of you—it ensures commitment, and it ensures that if things don't work out, you're not locked into a permanent equity split.

Founder agreement: Get a simple founder agreement. It should cover:

• Equity split and vesting schedule
• Salary and payment terms
• Decision-making (how do you resolve disagreements?)
• Exit scenarios (what happens if one person wants to leave?)
• IP ownership (who owns the code, the product, the brand?)

You don't need a fancy law firm for this. Platforms like Gidi Law or even a template from a mentor can work. The point is to have it in writing so there's no ambiguity later.

Red flags and deal-breakers

Some things should end the conversation immediately:

1. They're not actually available: They say they want to co-found, but they're not willing to go full-time for six months. That's fine—they're not your co-founder. They might be a great hire later.

2. They don't understand your problem: If you're building a product for small businesses and they think the market is too small, or they don't see why anyone would use it, that's a fundamental misalignment. You need someone who believes in the vision.

3. They're only interested in the equity: If the conversation is entirely about "How much equity do I get?" and never about the product, the problem, or the market, they're thinking like an investor, not a builder. That's not your co-founder.

4. They can't communicate clearly: If you can't understand their technical thinking, or if they dismiss your questions instead of answering them, that's a bad sign. Co-founders need to communicate constantly.

5. They have a history of leaving projects unfinished: One abandoned project is normal. Three is a pattern. Ask why they left previous roles or projects. Listen for accountability.

6. They're currently in a non-compete or have IP concerns: If they're bound by a non-compete clause or their current employer owns their code, that's a legal liability. Clarify this before moving forward.

How to actually close the conversation

Once you've decided this is the right person, be direct. Don't let it drag on. Here's a template:

"I think you're exactly the person I need to build this with. I know it's a risk—you'd be leaving [current situation] for something that might not work. But I genuinely believe this problem is worth solving, and I can't do it without someone who can actually build. I'm offering [equity]% equity, [salary] per month, and we'd start [timeline]. I know that's not market rate, but the upside is real if this works. What would you need to say yes?"

Then listen. They might say yes. They might say "I need to think about it." They might say "I need a higher salary" or "I need you to validate the idea first." All of those are negotiable. What's not negotiable is whether they believe in the problem and whether you genuinely want to work with them.

If they say no, that's okay. Move to the next person. This is not a linear process—you'll probably talk to 15–20 people before you find the right fit.

Building a network for future hiring

Even if you find your co-founder, you'll need to hire more engineers later. Use this process to build relationships. When you talk to someone who's not the right co-founder fit, ask if they'd be open to freelance work or a full-time role later. Keep their contact information. Invite them to your product launches or pitch events.

The technical community in Lagos is smaller than you think. People talk. If you treat this process with respect—being honest about what you can offer, following up even with rejections, and staying in touch—you'll build a reputation as a founder who understands and values engineers. That pays dividends for years.

For more context on where to base your startup and how to think about hiring more broadly, read our guide on how to hire engineers in Nigeria: where to look and what to pay.

One more thing: validate first

Before you start this process, make sure you actually have something worth co-founding around. We've seen too many founders recruit a technical co-founder before they've validated that anyone actually wants what they're building. The co-founder then spends three months building the wrong thing.

Spend a week validating your idea with potential customers first. Talk to 20 people who have the problem you're solving. Get them to commit to something—a pre-order, a letter of intent, early access to a beta. Then go find your technical co-founder with that validation in hand. It changes the entire conversation.

We have a specific playbook for how to validate a startup idea in Nigeria in 7 days.

FAQ

Q: Should I find a co-founder before or after I've validated my idea? A: Validate first. Spend a week talking to customers, then recruit your co-founder with that validation in hand. They'll be more confident in the opportunity, and you'll have real feedback to build from instead of assumptions.

Q: What if I can't find anyone in Lagos? Should I look outside Nigeria? A: You can, but it's harder. Remote co-founders work, but you lose the daily collaboration and the local context. Try exhausting Lagos first—the talent is there. If you really can't find anyone, look in other Nigerian cities (Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano) or consider bringing someone on part-time while you find a full-time co-founder.

Q: How long should the recruiting process take? A: Typically four to eight weeks from identifying candidates to closing. Don't rush. This is one of the most important decisions you'll make. At the same time, don't let it drag on indefinitely—if someone's not saying yes after two or three conversations, move on.

Q: What if my co-founder and I disagree on the technical direction? A: That's normal and healthy. The key is having a decision-making framework before you start. Agree upfront on how you'll resolve disagreements—maybe the technical co-founder has final say on architecture, or you make big decisions together and smaller ones individually. Write it down.

Q: Should my co-founder be someone I already know, or is it okay to recruit a stranger? A: Both work. Knowing someone reduces risk but can bring baggage from previous relationships. Recruiting a stranger is harder but gives you a clean slate. Either way, spend real time together before committing. The relationship matters more than how you met.

What to do next

1. Map your network: Spend an hour this week writing down 30 technical people you know or could meet in Lagos. Include their GitHub profiles, Twitter handles, and how you might reach them.

2. Start conversations: Pick the top five and reach out. Don't ask them to be your co-founder yet—just ask for a coffee to talk about a problem you're solving. See who bites.

3. Validate your idea first: Before any of those conversations, spend three days talking to ten potential customers. Get real feedback. That changes everything when you talk to technical people.

For more on validation, see how to validate a startup idea in Nigeria in 7 days. For context on hiring and compensation, check how to hire engineers in Nigeria: where to look and what to pay.