Tinubu Directs Trade Minister to Develop Roadmap for Nigeria’s Digital Free Zones Launch

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the development of a roadmap to fully launch Nigeria’s Digital Free Zones initiative within 180 days.

The President directed the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, to work with the Itana Innovation project and the Presidential Steering Committee on Digital Free Zones to develop the roadmap within the stipulated period.

The initiative is aimed at encouraging Nigerian technology and service companies to raise international capital, employ Nigerians and serve global markets while retaining their headquarters, operations and intellectual property in the country.

Oduwole serves as vice-chairman and implementation coordinator of the committee, which is chaired by the President.

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, disclosed the development in a statement on Thursday, saying the initiative had moved into its implementation phase.

According to the Presidency, the government is seeking to modernise Nigeria’s more than three-decade-old free zone framework to accommodate businesses operating in the digital economy.

The initiative is also expected to enable more young Nigerians to work remotely for global companies while remaining in the country, creating opportunities for engineers, developers, designers, lawyers, accountants and other professionals serving digital businesses.

The Presidency said the administration wants a greater proportion of the economic value generated by Nigerian talent to remain in the domestic economy through jobs, investments, professional services, intellectual property and the growth of Nigerian businesses.

The Presidency said the project would bring together a supportive policy framework, an innovation campus, access to funding and other ecosystem services to help African startups scale while retaining more of the value they generate on the continent.

The Digital Free Zones initiative builds on earlier government and private-sector efforts to position Nigeria as a base for digital businesses and an exporter of digital services.