In a significant achievement for the Nigerian tech community, Imaiger, an artificial intelligence solution founded by United Kingdom-based Nigerian Salam Lawal, has been honoured with a prestigious UK business award.
A Prestigious Recognition for Innovation
The platform was named the winner of the Midlands Enterprise Awards 2025 in the category of Best AI-Powered Visual Content Platform. The awards, organized by SME News, a subsidiary of AI Global Media, are designed to highlight and celebrate the exceptional businesses and individuals who are driving growth, innovation, and sustainability across the Midlands region of the United Kingdom.
Melissa Bramall, the awards coordinator, expressed pride in the winners, stating that their businesses are making a huge difference in people's livelihoods across the region. "Especially as they alter the trajectory of their industries for the better," she added.
Democratizing Visual Content Creation
SME News praised Imaiger as an AI-powered platform that assists creators and brands in driving growth through the creation of high-performing images, thumbnails, and slideshows. For founder Salam Lawal, the award is a profound validation of his company's mission.
Lawal stated that the award acknowledges their technical innovation in making AI-powered visual content creation both accessible and affordable. This is particularly crucial for small businesses and independent creators who have historically lacked the creative resources to compete with larger, more established brands.
He emphasized that this recognition strengthens Imaiger's credibility as they scale their operations and attract new partnerships within the highly competitive creator economy space.
Contributing to the UK's Tech Ecosystem and Advice for Nigerian Techies
Lawal detailed the platform's role in the UK's technology ecosystem, explaining that Imaiger is democratizing access to visual content creation through AI. This effort directly supports the UK's thriving creator economy.
"We are enabling small businesses, independent creators, and marketers across the UK to compete with larger brands by providing affordable, high-quality visual content tools," Lawal said. He also highlighted that, as part of the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub and Paddle AI Launchpad, Imaiger is contributing to the UK's position as a leader in AI innovation.
Seizing the moment, Lawal offered crucial advice to Nigerian technology professionals. He urged them to focus on building products that solve genuine problems, not just what is currently trendy. He emphasized that the global technology industry respects execution and tangible impact above all else.
His admonition to entrepreneurs was clear: focus on launching products, gathering real users, and iterating based on feedback. He cautioned against waiting for perfect conditions, advising instead to start with available resources and learn throughout the building process.
"Most importantly, document your journey and impact with clear metrics," Lawal concluded. "Whether it is user numbers, revenue, or testimonials, concrete evidence of your work speaks louder than promises. Stay consistent, embrace rejection as feedback, and keep building."
