The UK Government through its Africa Technology and Innovation Partnership (ATIP) programme and the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub has expressed its commitment to supporting the Nigeria Start-up Bill (NSB); a joint initiative by Nigeria’s Tech Ecosystem and the Presidency, driven by the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
‘We are really excited to be supporting this collaborative process. Nigeria has shown so much growth and potential in the start-up space and it is impressive to see both governments and that the ecosystem co-creating laws that will further boost its growth, as consensus builds trust and responsibility which are key ingredients needed to make laws work,” announced the Country Director of the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub- Adaeze Sokan.
She said the UK Government continues to partner with the Federal Government of Nigeria to deliver its vision to be a leading ICT player in Africa, through several programmes including the Africa Technology Innovation Partnership (ATIP), the UK’s Digital Access Programme and the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub.
Nigeria is home to the most tech start-ups in Africa. It will be joining a growing number of African countries that have enacted a Start-up Bill, pushing for positive change and sustainability in the technology and digital environment. “We are glad to support this process, which draws on research and evidence of what would work to improve the enabling environment for start-ups in Nigeria,” Adaeze added.
The Nigeria Start-up Bill project which aims to harness the potential of the country’s digital economy through co-created regulations will improve the policy and regulatory framework to support growth and competitiveness in Nigeria’s Technology Ecosystem.
The UK Government’s support will help fund the engagement of relevant stakeholders across the country through town hall meetings and provide access to research and evidence to harness the existing opportunities for start-ups and address the challenges in the current policy and regulatory framework. The Bill will ensure that Nigeria’s laws and regulations for start-ups are clear and work for the ecosystem.
Collaborative efforts between relevant stakeholders in the tech ecosystem led to the establishment of regional town hall meetings across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. These town hall meetings serve to broaden the scope of reach and ensure that every key player across the nation joins the ongoing conversation and contributes to the drafting and contents of the Start-up Bill.
The town hall meetings will also have in attendance, representatives from the Presidency, and MDAs. Townhall meetings have been held in Kaduna, Yola and Kwara states with stakeholders also able to join the session virtually. These sessions are the first round of discussions in the North-west, North-east, and the North-central geopolitical zones, to be followed soon after by the South-west, South-east and South-south zones.