Abia moves to domesticate Startup Act, Reviews State’s Draft Document
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr. David Kanu, addressing the stakeholders
Abia Stakeholders have expressed optimism that domesticating the Startup Act in the state would boost technology-driven businesses in the state.
They bared their mind during a stakeholders’ engagement in Umuahia organized by Abia State Government to review the Abia State Startup Act Draft document preparatory to domesticating the Nigeria Startup Act.
Speaking during the meeting, the Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovations, Mr. David Kanu, stressed the need for the participants to make inputs that would facilitate passing the state version of the Act.
Kanu noted that Abia is known for trade and agriculture and is greatly gifted with strong entrepreneurial skills and appreciated Governor Alex Otti for his interest in harnessing skills of these entrepreneurs.
“We are now getting technology, and so there is a marriage of our entrepreneurial skills with the technology to underline this marriage.
“I think we need in place a very strong legal framework that can support this relationship. That is why it is very important that we have this act,” Kanu explained.
He was happy that major stakeholders turned up for the engagement, including academics, technologists, youths and government officials. “We have gathered our stakeholders to look at this Act and make sure that everybody’s voice is heard very well,” he said.
“We will put all the views together to come up with an act that would actually support, promote and push forward entrepreneurs using technology in Abia to develop applications that would support our future,” the Commissioner added.
The Commissioner assured that Abia state government would set up a fund for the technology-driven Startups and manage it to encourage Abia business ecosystem.
Also Speaking, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations, Engr. Mrs. Justina Ebo, and the Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Economy, Miss Chibuzor Chijioke, highlighted the essence of the stakeholders’ engagement and expressed government’s commitment to adopting the State Startup Act for the growth of technology-driven businesses.
In her speech, the State Adoption Lead of the Nigeria Startup Act, Mrs Tracy Okoro-Isaac, said the stakeholders engagement was important to ensure that the Startup Act, passed at the federal level, was domesticated in Abia.
She noted that there is need for states like Abia to co-create the environment using legal instrument like the Act to make sure that young people are running tech-enabled companies and have a chance to build something and create a silicon valley for themselves.
Reacting, some participants, including the Board Chair of Abia Technology and Innovation Network, Mr. Daniel Chinagozi and Mr. Anya Peter described the meeting as a dream-come-true and appreciated the fact that the state has taken it upon itself to ensure that the Startup Act is adopted in Abia State.
