Tinubu moves digital free zones to implementation, sets 180-day roadmap

By Adebola Muili

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has moved Nigeria’s Digital Free Zones initiative to the implementation stage, directing the development of a roadmap for its full launch within 180 days.

The initiative is aimed at making it easier for Nigerian technology and service companies to raise global capital, create jobs and serve international markets without relocating their businesses and intellectual property abroad.

President Tinubu said the government wanted more of the economic value created by Nigerian talent to remain in the country through jobs, investment, professional services, intellectual property and the growth of indigenous businesses.

“Nigeria has the talent, enterprise and ambition to build companies that can compete anywhere in the world. Our responsibility as a government is to ensure that Nigerians do not have to leave Nigeria or rely on other jurisdictions to realise that potential,” the President said.

The President has therefore directed the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, in her capacity as Vice-Chairman and Implementation Coordinator of the Presidential Steering Committee on Digital Free Zones, to work with the Itana Innovation project and the committee to develop the roadmap for the full launch of the initiative within 180 days.

According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday, September 17, 2026, Tinubu established and chairs the Presidential Steering Committee as part of efforts to modernise Nigeria’s free zone framework for the requirements of the digital economy.

The President said the initiative would address the situation in which promising Nigerian entrepreneurs establish their companies and intellectual property abroad in order to access global capital and international markets.

“For too long, some of our most promising young entrepreneurs have felt compelled to establish their companies and intellectual property abroad to access global capital and markets. I do not accept that this must remain the case.

“I want the next generation of African technology, finance and service companies to be built, headquartered and scaled to the world from Nigerian soil,” he said.

The initiative is already taking shape with Itana, Nigeria’s first Digital Free Zone, now licensed by the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and providing a platform for global and pan-African digital and service businesses to establish and operate from Nigeria.

The Africa Finance Corporation is backing the $500 million Itana Innovation project at Alaro City, Lagos. The project will combine an enabling policy environment with an innovation campus, access to capital and ecosystem services designed to help African startups build at scale and retain more of the value they create on the continent.

Tinubu said the administration’s ambition extended beyond the development of technology parks, stressing that companies should be able to incorporate, secure financing and operate from Nigeria while serving markets across Africa and the world.

He said the initiative would also enable young Nigerians in cities such as Kano, Enugu, Warri, Minna, Maiduguri and Ibadan to work for global companies without leaving the country, while founders could raise capital internationally while retaining their companies and intellectual property in Nigeria.

“When these businesses grow here, they employ Nigerians, use Nigerian professional services and retain more of the value they create in our economy,” the President said.

The Presidential Steering Committee is expected to continue work across regulation, taxation, banking, immigration, arbitration and the digitisation of government processes within Nigeria’s free zones.

Tinubu said the initiative would further position Nigeria to take advantage of the rapid expansion of Africa’s digital economy and the growth of digitally enabled trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

“Nigeria has the talent and the market to reshape Africa’s place in the global technology and digital economy value chain.

“This is what our Renewed Hope commitment to a digital economy looks like in practice, and this is how we transform reform into opportunities.

“We made a promise to Nigerians. We are keeping it,” he said.