The National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA has launched portal for Nigerian startup.
The Nigeria Startup Act 2022 provides incentives, structures and programmes for Nigerian startups to catalyse growth, create value and build a foundation to export tech-enabled services.
The Act also creates the National Council for Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship whose primary mandate is to align national policies for the development of startups and establish programmes to support tech-enabled startups in Nigeria.
Earlier, the agency said it has so far registered 12,948 Nigerian startups for labeling.
The registration, which is being done through the startup portal, is the first step in implementing the Nigeria Startup Act, which was signed into law in October 2022 by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Through the registration portal, which was opened in November 2023, NITDA said it has also registered 912 venture capitalists, 1,735 angel investors, and 925 accelerators, incubators, and hubs.
While inviting Nigerian startups to register on the platform, NITDA said the registration will make them “become eligible for statutory incentives, resources, and opportunities.”
The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, the portal allows the government to initiate the process of setting up the startup consultative forums to select representatives to the National Council for Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship, while facilitating discourse and consensus among Nigerian ecosystem players.
Responding to NITDA’s update on the registrations recorded on the portals so far, Tijani in a post on X said:
“I am delighted that the Nigeria Startup Portal, which will label startups and register other ecosystem actors has now been deployed. The platform will also facilitate a consultative forum where issues affecting startups can be discussed and properly defined for action by the government and other stakeholders.
“We will be prioritizing the objectives of Startup Act to improve the operating environment, prospects, and opportunities for our Startup Ecosystem and I’m encouraging members of the ecosystem to visit the platform and register.”
According to a statement on the portal, the highlights of the Nigeria Startup Act include
● Establishes the National Council for Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship (The Council)
● Sets up a consultative forum for Nigerian ecosystem stakeholders to engage and present proposals to the Council
● Provides for the Startup Investment Seed Fund which will be managed by the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA)
● Simplifies registrations and access to government services through the Startup Support and Engagement Portal
Interested applicants should REGISTER HERE
