Federal Government of Nigeria Launches Portal for Startups

The Federal Government of Nigeria has launched a Startup Support and Engagement portal to register startups in the country as part of implementing the Nigeria Startup Act. 

This was announced by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, on Tuesday night on ‘X’. The portal will also be used to engage with Venture Capital companies, hubs, and innovation centres, according to the Minister.

This development comes a year after the Startup Act was signed into law by immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari.  

His ‘X’ post reads, 

• We are pleased to announce the launch of the Startup Support and Engagement Portal, https://startup.gov.ng, a key requirement for the implementation of the Nigeria Startup Act.

• The startup portal will drive the identification and aggregation of Nigerian startups, venture capital companies, hubs and innovation centres in order to facilitate engagement and support for ecosystem players. 

• The launch of the portal will allow us initiate the process of setting up the startup consultative forums to select representatives to the National Council for Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship, in order to facilitate discourse and consensus among Nigerian ecosystem players.

• We invite all Nigerian startups venture capital companies, hubs and innovation centres to register at the portal https://startup.gov.ng and look forward to working with all industry stakeholders to ensure that we fully implement the Startup Act for the benefit of our innovation ecosystem. 

Also in support of the initiative, the former Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari (Digital Transformation) and lead, Nigeria Start Up Bill, Oswald Osaretin Guobadia, said, “The work is ahead. This announcement by the government is an indication that collaboration is key to sustainable policy development. Beneficiaries must remain engaged.”

How Do I Apply for Federal Government Startup Support?

1. Visit http://startup.gov.ng

2. Scroll down the page to reveal the options for Startups, Angel Investors, Venture Capitalists or Accelerators, Innovation Hubs & Incubators.

3. Select Startups

Criteria to enroll:

• Be a limited liability company registered under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).

• Be a company existing for less than 10 years from the date of incorporation.

• Have objects that are focused on innovation, development, production, improvement, and commercialization of a digital technology innovative product or process.

• Be a holder or repository of a product or process of digital technology or the owner or author of a registered software.

• Have at least one-third of local shareholding held by one or more Nigerians as founder or co-founder of the startup.

• Satisfy the conditions set out in the Act, in the case of a sole proprietorship or partnership.

• Be a tech-enabled business that uses existing tools, platforms, libraries, and frameworks to make a company or a solution more efficient or effective.

4. Enter the following details:

• RC Number (Unique CAC identification number)

• Company Name

• Year of Incorporation

• Industry (type)

• Media

• Start Up description

• Company Email

• Company Address

• Company website

• Founder’s Full Name

• First Name + Last Name

• Founder’s Email Address

• Founder’s Phone Number

• Founder’s means of Identification (BVN or NIN)

5. Then Submit