UK Government to support NSB

The UK government has expressed its commitment in provision of access to research and evidence to harness the existing opportunities for start-ups and address the challenges in the current policy and regulatory framework. This will be done in course of the process of enacting the Nigeria Start-up Bill (NSB).

The British Deputy High Commission in Lagos, in a statement, said the UK Government’s support would help fund engagement of relevant stakeholders across the country through town hall meetings.

“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,it said.

The commission noted that the town hall meetings would also have in attendance, representatives from the presidency and MDAs.

According to the statement, the Nigeria Start-up Bill project aims to harness the potential of the country’s digital economy through co-created regulations.

It said that NSB would also improve the policy and regulatory framework to support growth and competitiveness in Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.

Speaking on the UK’s support, Leanne Jones, Team Lead, West Africa Research and Innovation, said: “Nigeria 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.

He said that they were glad to support a process which draws on research and evidence of what would work to improve the enabling environment for start-ups in Nigeria’.

The Country Director of the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub- Adaeze Sokan said: “We are really excited to be supporting this collaborative process.

She noted that Nigeria has shown so much growth and potential in the start-up space.”

Sokan said it was impressive to see both government and the ecosystem co-creating laws that would further boost its growth.

He noted that consensus builds trust and responsibility which were key ingredients needed to make laws work.

She noted that the UK Government would continue to partner with the Federal Government of Nigeria to deliver its vision to be a leading ICT player in Africa.

Sokan noted that this would be done through several programmes including the Africa Technology Innovation Partnership (ATIP), the UK’s Digital Access Programme and the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub.