By Juliet Ebirim

Aba is set to host the next edition of The Gathering, scheduled to take place at Prime Event Centre on the 14th and 15th of June 2026, bringing together conversations around creativity and entrepreneurship.

Among the activities planned for the two-day event is a startup Pitchathon aimed at early-stage founders. Participants will present their business ideas in a competition offering a total prize pool of ₦5 million, with awards spread across three top entries.

The MTN youth-focused culture and lifestyle event adds a business and innovation layer to the event’s broader cultural atmosphere, creating space for founders to showcase concepts before an audience that includes entrepreneurs, industry observers and attendees from different sectors.

The Aba edition follows an earlier stop in Lagos, where The Gathering on 100 was held at the National Stadium in Surulere between April 22 and 26. That edition featured startup presentations across sectors including financial technology, health, agriculture, education and creative innovation, alongside other event activities.

Eight startups collectively received ₦45 million at the Lagos edition after presenting their ideas, with projects spanning different areas of technology and enterprise development. at the Lagos edition after presenting their ideas, with projects spanning different areas of technology and enterprise development.

By moving beyond Lagos, organisers are positioning the event within other commercially active cities, with Aba long recognised for its manufacturing culture, trading networks and growing community of young entrepreneurs, serving as the latest destination.