. . . Itana to be to Nigeria and Africa what Delaware & Silicon Valley is to the U.S., the DIFC is to Dubai, and e-Estonia is to the European Union

By JEPH ADE

Nigeria?s first licensed digital economic zone management company, Itana, and Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the continent?s leading infrastructure solutions provider, have agreed to jointly develop the first digital economic zone in Africa. It is designed for global and Pan-African technology, finance and service-based businesses to operate and scale with ease across Africa, unlocking the continent?s digital economy. The formalisation of the landmark partnership, it was gathered, was witnessed by global government and business leaders, at the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI), on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

Information on the partnership show that the Itana Digital Economic Zone in Lagos, Nigeria is intended as an online jurisdiction and to serve as a gateway to build a global business in Nigeria. Through Itana, companies can remotely incorporate and operate their businesses in the Itana zone, with laws, business incentives (tax, immigration & banking), and services optimized for the digital economy. This will be coupled with eco-friendly live-work districts and a live-in accelerator program, showcasing the future of African cities and providing the ideal infrastructure and support for businesses in Africa to scale and compete globally.

AFC will support Itana with project development funding and intends to lead in the financing of phase 1 of the Itana project which is budgeted at around $100m, the partners said in a statement. This will include an eco-friendly tech campus in Lagos, Nigeria, and funding of startups in Accelerate Africa, the accelerator program of Itana in partnership with Future Africa. AFC will also support the roll-out of the Itana Digital Economic Zone for global and Pan-African tech, finance, and service-based businesses seeking to operate across Africa.

Further checks said: ?Itana and AFC are already collaborating alongside Future Africa, PwC Nigeria, and Charter Cities Institute as technical advisers to the Initiative for the Promotion of Digital Free Zones in Nigeria (DiFZIN), a non-profit advocacy and policy research organization representing the private sector in the recently announced Nigerian Federal Government steering committee for the establishment of Digital Economic Zones in Nigeria. The committee is chaired by President Bola Tinubu and includes relevant Government Ministers and Agency Heads.

?Itana will be a conducive environment tailored to the 21st-century digital trade and technological age. The organization recently launched the Itana Application where individuals can join the community and have access to events and services such as business visa facilitation, local bank accounts, and a curated marketplace of trusted vendors and consultants for doing business in Africa. Businesses that meet the criteria can register as a Free Zone Enterprise (FZE) with ease and will receive a Business Operating license that enables them to do business in Nigeria like numerous digital companies including Reliance Info and Future Africa.

It was also learnt that businesses can operate in the zone with tax and capital repatriation incentives, get access to the Itana business community, apply for business banking in the Digital Economic Zone, and special work and residency permits without limitations imposed by expatriate quotas post business incorporation.

?Itana intends to be to Nigeria and Africa what Delaware & Silicon Valley is to the U.S., the DIFC is to Dubai, and e-Estonia is to the European Union,? said Luqman Edu, CEO of Itana. ?Itana is poised as the gateway to doing business in Africa. Local and International businesses looking to expand their operations across Africa will naturally look to Itana as their point of entry.?

?Africa?s digital economy is poised for significant expansion and innovation following the rapid adoption of mobile technology, a burgeoning youth population, and the growing importance of digital commerce and services,? said Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO, Africa Finance Corporation. ?In support of this, AFC is proud to be a pioneer alongside Itana, in building Africa?s first digital economic zone. This unprecedented initiative marks a pivotal step towards creating a thriving hub for the African digital economy, cementing the Corporation?s commitment to driving innovation, job creation, and sustainable economic development across the continent,? he added.

Last year, Itana announced a funding round backed by leading technology venture capitals and highly influential tech industry leaders including Local Globe, Amplo, Pronomos Capital (backed by Peter Thiel), Balaji, and Future Africa (led by Nigerian entrepreneur Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, co-founder of Andela and Flutterwave).

As the first Digital Zone, Itana remains committed to making Nigeria a powerhouse in the global digital economy. It will be hosted in Alaro City, an integrated, mixed-use city planned on over 2,000 hectares in the Lekki Free Zone.

Itana is a novel digital zone enabling global and pan-African technology, finance and service-oriented businesses to operate seamlessly across Africa. Offering a one-stop platform for setting up operations in Nigeria, Itana provides business services such as visa facilitation, local bank accounts and competitive incentives in taxation, immigration, banking, and regulation. It also features a Digital Residency community, a curated marketplace for trusted vendors, and the upcoming Itana District ? a tech campus in Lagos, set to also become a model for the future of African cities.

AFC was established in 2007 to be the catalyst for pragmatic infrastructure and industrial investments across Africa. AFC?s approach combines specialist industry expertise with a focus on financial and technical advisory, project structuring, project development, and risk capital to address Africa?s infrastructure development needs and drive sustainable economic growth.

Seventeen years on, AFC has developed a track record as the partner of choice in Africa for investing and delivering on instrumental, high-quality infrastructure assets that provide essential services in the core infrastructure sectors of power, natural resources, heavy industry, transport, and telecommunications. AFC has 43 member countries and has invested US$13 billion across Africa since inception.

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