We will work together to implement the law that will support the growth of the tech startup ecosystem.

About the Startup Act

The Nigeria Startup Act project is a joint initiative by Nigeria’s tech startup ecosystem and the Presidency to harness the potential of our digital economy through co-created regulations. The Act is aimed at ensuring that Nigeria's laws and regulations are clear, planned and work for the tech ecosystem. This, we believe, will contribute to the creation of an enabling environment for the growth of the ecosystem, as well as the attraction and protection of investment in tech startups.

The Act was signed into law by H.E. President Muhammadu Buhari on the 19th of October, 2022. Over 30 leaders in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem contributed to its drafting between June and September 2021.
Our young people are our most valuable natural resource, at home and abroad. Their ingenuity, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit is evident to all.

We will partner with the legislature to develop an enabling environment to turn their passions into ideas that can be supported, groomed and scaled.
Presidency
His Excellency

Muhammadu Buhari

President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Timeline

  • First draft produced

    June 2021

    We harmonise existing laws/regulations and feed input to the legal framework from key ecosystem leaders (MDAs, States, Networks).

  • First draft validated

    July 2021

    The first draft of the bill is reviewed by ecosystem leaders and representatives, as well as the Presidential Working Group composed of MDA decision-makers critical to implementing components of the bill.

  • Town Halls

    August 2021

    The presidential announcement and town hall meetings take place for public consultation and validation of the second draft of the bill. This sees the participation of ecosystem stakeholders at the state level in all geopolitical zones.

  • Final Draft Produced

    September 2021

    Drafting teams take all the input and make revisions to feed into the final bill.

  • Bill Submitted

    October 2021

    The bill is submitted to the President who then submits Executive Bill to the National Assembly.

  • Assembly floor

    December 2021

    The bill is sent to the National Assembly.

  • Public Hearing

    June 2022

    The National Assembly holds a public hearing of the bill

  • Bill Passed

    July 2022

    The National Assembly passes the Nigerian Startup Bill.

  • Bill becomes Act

    October 2022

    The Nigeria Startup Bill receives presidential assent to become the Nigeria Startup Act (NSA).


Summary of the Act


Preview of the Act

The Nigeria Startup Act is targeted at fostering the creation and development of an enabling environment for technology-enabled startups in Nigeria and for related matters.


The Nigeria Startup Bill is now an Act!

Got ideas to contribute?

Here you can have your say on the Act, indicating challenges yet to be addressed, propose additional policy solutions or propose amendments to specific articles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is leading this initiative?

The Nigeria Startup Act project is a joint initiative by Nigeria’s tech ecosystem and the Presidency to harness the potential of our digital economy through co-created regulations. While this is our act; it is being project managed by the Ventures Platform Foundation and supervised by the Presidential Strategic Advisory Group composed of stakeholder representatives from the tech-startup ecosystem in Nigeria.

How do we ensure all tech sectors are covered?

By jointly reviewing the drafts of the act and giving your inputs. You can participate by clicking on here

What is the scope of this project?

We plan that this act is submitted to the NASS by October and passed by 2021. Visit the project timeline and subscribe to the newsletter to follow the journey.

Has this been successful anywhere else?

Yes. Other African countries like Senegal and Tunisia have passed their own startup bills.

How is this different from past attempts?

We are adopting a collaborative approach to drive this cause. We have tagged this collaborative framework the Big Tent approach, which in other words, means the bill is owned by the ecosystem. The process of engagement involves all relevant stakeholders in the startup ecosystem including the government (both at regional and federal levels, as well as across the legislative, executive and judiciary arms of government to develop and submit the bill to be signed into law. This is an initiative together with #i4Policy, and, is being supported by the Innovation for Policy Foundation, an organization working to increase public policy co-creation that has experience in facilitating the co-design of startup policy and legislative frameworks in more than a dozen African countries. We are also identifying existing laws/regulations and harmonising them into this bill. We are also using the bill as an opportunity to update existing but outdated laws.

Presidential Advisory Strategic Group Members

Adaeze Sokan
Adaeze Sokan

Country Director, UK-Nigeria Tech Hub

Adia Sowho
Adia Sowho

CMO / MTN

Chinenye Mba-Uzuokwu
Chinenye Mba-Uzuokwu

Managing Partner, GrandCentral

Colonel Felix Alaita (rtd)
Colonel Felix Alaita (rtd)

SSA (Country Risk Assessment and Evaluation) to the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Emmanuel Adegboye
Emmanuel Adegboye

Managing Partner, Utopia, Lagos

Ife Adebayo
Ife Adebayo

SA (Innovation) to the Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Iyin Aboyeji
Iyin Aboyeji

Founder / Future Africa

Kasim Sodangi
Kasim Sodangi

Head of Compliance / Smile Identity
Director / API

Kola Aina
Kola Aina

Founder / Ventures Platform

Michael Oluwagbemi
Michael Oluwagbemi

Founding Partner, LoftyInc Capital Management

Mohammed I. Jega
Mohammed I. Jega

Founder / Startup Arewa

Musa Ali Baba
Musa Ali Baba

CEO / Teasy International

Obi Asika
Obi Asika

Founder, Iba Ajie hub, Africa Soft Power Project

Oge Modie
Oge Modie

SSA (Strategic Communications) to The President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Oswald Osaretin Guobadia
Oswald Osaretin Guobadia

SSA (Digital Transformation) to The President, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Lead, Nigeria Startup Act

Sanusi Ismaila
Sanusi Ismaila

Founder / CoLab

Titi Akinsanmi
Titi Akinsanmi

Policy Lead / Google West Africa

Tomiwa Aladekomo
Tomiwa Aladekomo

CEO / Big Cabal Media

Victoria Manya
Victoria Manya

Executive Director & Lead Researcher / API

Victor Famubode
Victor Famubode

Project Manager, Nigeria Startup Act

Yewande Adewusi
Yewande Adewusi

Group Executive Director, Commercial Tangerine Africal

Partners

Government Partners

Office Of the Presidency
Office Of the Presidency
FMCDE
NCC
Nigerian Economic Summit Group
National Information Technology Development Agency
SEC

Ecosystem Partners

Innovation for Policy (i4Policy) Foundation
Advocacy for Policy and Innovation
VP
TechCabal
MDS
AfriLabs
Google
Aelex
ISN
THELP
GFA
Vazi Legal
Tech Hive
Future Africa
Netherlands
Outsource Global
The UK Nigeria Tech Hub
edoigiawerie

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