Benue Is Building

Across identity technology, real estate, hospitality, agriculture, and education, a new generation of founders is developing solutions to challenges Nigerians encounter every day. From Gboko to Makurdi, these entrepreneurs are turning problems into opportunities and ideas into products.

On Friday, August 14, five founders will take the stage at Pitch Friday Season 1 Episode 2, presenting their startups to judges, investors, ecosystem builders, and members of the wider technology community.

The second edition offers another opportunity to discover what is being built within Benue’s growing innovation ecosystem — and, more importantly, to meet the people behind the ideas.

Here are the five startups taking the stage.

1. OmniNile / LumiID — Building a Smarter Approach to Identity Verification

Founder: Emmanuel Nzorov
Location: Gboko, Benue State
Industry: AI / Identity Technology

Identity verification is becoming increasingly important in a digital economy where businesses need reliable ways to know who they are dealing with.

Emmanuel Nzorov is tackling this challenge through LumiID, an AI-powered live identity verification platform designed to address identity fraud and verification challenges.

With the platform already generating revenue, LumiID offers an early indication of market demand for its solution and the problem it seeks to address.

At Pitch Friday S1E2, Emmanuel will present LumiID to the judges and wider innovation community, sharing how the platform is approaching identity verification through artificial intelligence.

2. Sheltrify AI — Bringing Greater Trust to Real Estate

Founders: Awua Biemdoo & Onalo Helen
Location: Makurdi, Benue State
Industry: AI / Real Estate Technology

Finding accommodation can be stressful. For many Nigerians, the search involves fake listings, unreliable agents, misinformation, and uncertainty about whether a property is actually what it claims to be.

Sheltrify AI is taking on this challenge by building an intelligence platform designed to bring greater trust and transparency to the real estate experience.

By applying technology to one of the most important decisions people make — finding a place to live — the founders are exploring how the process can become more reliable and informed.

At Pitch Friday S1E2, Awua Biemdoo and Onalo Helen will bring this vision to the stage as they demonstrate how technology can address persistent challenges within Nigeria’s real estate market.

3. Matchire — Making Hotel Booking Easier Through WhatsApp

Founders: Raphael Emmanuel & Odoh Samuel Itodo
Location: Makurdi, Benue State
Industry: Hospitality / Travel Technology

For many people, booking accommodation can mean searching across multiple platforms, downloading another app, creating an account, and navigating unfamiliar interfaces.

Matchire is taking a different approach.

The startup is making hotel booking possible through a platform Nigerians already use every day: WhatsApp.

By meeting customers where they already are, Matchire aims to make hotel discovery and booking simpler and more accessible — without requiring users to download another application.

Raphael Emmanuel and Odoh Samuel Itodo will present Matchire at Pitch Friday S1E2, showcasing how an everyday communication platform can become part of a more seamless hospitality experience.

4. Foodra — Connecting Smallholder Farmers to Greater Opportunities

Founders: Aondongu Amos, Clement Raymond & Mimi Andzenge
Location: Makurdi, Benue State
Industry: Agritech

Benue is widely recognised for its agricultural potential and its contribution to Nigeria’s food supply. Yet behind the food produced across the state are smallholder farmers who continue to face challenges accessing markets, financing, and the support needed to grow their operations.

Foodra is building a digital agricultural marketplace designed to help address some of these gaps.

By connecting farmers with opportunities across the agricultural value chain, the startup is exploring how technology can improve market access and create stronger connections between producers and the wider economy.

At Pitch Friday S1E2, Aondongu Amos, Clement Raymond, and Mimi Andzenge will present their vision for using technology to create greater opportunities for farmers and strengthen agricultural commerce.

5. EarnVersity — Turning Student Potential into Opportunity

Founders: Anita Raagale Ugwuru & Precious Ukama
Location: Makurdi, Benue State
Industry: Edtech

Sometimes, the inspiration to build a startup begins with watching someone else take the stage.

For Anita Raagale Ugwuru, that moment happened during Pitch Friday Season 1 Episode 1, where she watched five founders present their startups.

Her reaction was simple: That should be me.

Now, she is returning to the Pitch Friday stage as a founder.

Together with Precious Ukama, Anita is building EarnVersity, an Edtech platform focused on connecting university students with flexible job opportunities while helping them develop practical digital skills.

The startup is addressing a challenge many Nigerian students understand firsthand: the need to gain relevant experience, develop employable skills, and find opportunities to earn while pursuing their education.

EarnVersity’s journey adds a unique dimension to this edition of Pitch Friday. It demonstrates how seeing one opportunity can inspire someone to pursue an opportunity of their own.

Five Startups. Five Problems. One Stage.

The five startups taking the stage at Pitch Friday S1E2 represent different industries, different challenges, and different approaches to innovation.

  • LumiID is tackling identity verification.
  • Sheltrify AI is addressing trust in real estate.
  • Matchire is simplifying hospitality bookings.
  • Foodra is connecting agriculture and digital commerce.
  • EarnVersity is creating opportunities for students through skills and employment.

Their solutions may be different, but they share something important: each begins with a problem and asks a fundamental question — how can we solve this better?

That question lies at the heart of Pitch Friday.

The event is not simply about competition or who takes home the top spot. It is about giving founders a stage to test their ideas, receive feedback, connect with people who can help them grow, and introduce their solutions to a wider community.

Be Part of Pitch Friday Season 1 Episode 2

On Friday, August 14, 2026, these five founders will step onto the stage at BAIHUB, Makurdi, to share their ideas and compete for recognition at the second edition of Pitch Friday.

Whether you are a founder, student, investor, technology enthusiast, aspiring entrepreneur, or simply curious about what is being built in Benue, this is an opportunity to experience the energy of the ecosystem firsthand.

Come support the founders. Come learn. Come connect.

Most importantly, come see what Benue is building.

Get your ticket and join us at Pitch Friday Season 1 Episode 2.

Registere to Attend

Five founders. Five bold ideas. One stage.

The next chapter of Pitch Friday is about to begin.

  • Anna Adini is a librarian and content writer with a strong interest in information management and clear communication. She combines her academic training with writing skills to create engaging, informative content that is easy to understand and meaningful to her audience.