Why FG approved tax reliefs, other incentives for tech startups – Pantami

By Zakariyya Adaramola

The Federal Government approved tax reliefs to tech startups and further harness Nigeria’s digital innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem to enable the implementation of strategies to encourage and support the development and growth of more InnovationDriven Enterprises (IDEs).

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, said this in a statement yesterday by his technical assistant, Femi Adeluyi.

Pantami said the implementation had the potential to create millions of additional jobs in the country.

“This will also help to develop innovative solutions to societal problems, and rapidly grow, as well as diversify the Nigerian economy, in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a digital Nigeria”.

He said a number of the proposed strategies resulted from recommendations that were made at an interactive forum held on 22nd February 2022, where the Minister led a Federal Government delegation on a working visit to the Lagos digital innovation ecosystem.

“Nigeria’s startup ecosystem attracted about 35% (estimated at $1.4billion) of the over $4billion raised by African startups, which is the highest raised by any startup ecosystem on the continent.

“The Nigeria Startup Bill (NSB) was earlier approved by the Federal Executive Council and forwarded to the National Assembly and the process is about 90% complete.

“The approval

of

the incentives at the council will consolidate the gains recorded for far in the NSB process.

“The implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) emphasises the importance of the innovation and startup ecosystem to the development of an indigenous digital economy.”

The minister said the government would continue to position Nigeria to develop the tech ecosystem to transform Nigeria into a country with a sustainable and thriving digital economy.