Buhari signs Nigeria Startups Bill into law, votes N10bn as Investment Fund 

.Microsoft to train 5m Nigerians in high-demand skills

Obiora Ifoh, Abuja

The federal government has disclosed that it has set up N10 billion Investment Fund for young innovators and also makes provision for incentives and tax holidays to encourage local innovators.

The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami who disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja Wednesday said that President Muhammadu Buhari also signed into law the Nigeria Startups Bills.

He said in recognition of the efforts of the Nigerian government in Information Communication Technology, ICT, Microsoft has decided to train about five million Nigerians on high demands skills geared towards job creation.

He said the ICT contributed 18.42 percent to the Gross Domestic Product, GDP this year alone, while the entire contribution of Communication and Digital Economy was 40 percent.

He explained that the new Act was an Executive Bill initiated by President Buhari through the collaboration of the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the president.

He said that before the passage of the bill, young innovators from the six geo-political zones of the country were engaged, adding that the Act provides the legal and strategic framework for the innovators to make their contributions to the country.

He said that out of the seven unicorns in Africa, five are from Nigeria, adding that the market value of each unicorn is worth $1 billion.

A unicorn, he explained, is a privately held startup company valued at over US$1 billion.

The Minister said there will be a Presidential Council on Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship to be chaired by the President, while the Vice President serves as the vice chairman.

The Council, he further said would have membership from the government and private sectors as well as representatives from the academia.

The Council under the chairmanship of the President would help to curb the incessant harassment of the youths with laptop computers by the security agencies who are always tagged as ‘yahoo boys,’ Pantami said.