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Nigeria sets $5bn investment target for its startups

Published

1 year ago

October 2, 2023

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has revealed a plan to increase investments into the country’s tech start-ups to $5 billion within five years.

Tijani, on Monday in a policy document titled, ‘Accelerating our Collective Prosperity through Technical Efficiency: A Strategic Plan for the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy,’ announced the target.

Describing how the ministry would measure if its plan was working, Tijani said, “Increase capital raised by Nigerian tech startups 50 per cent year-on-year from ~$1bn/yr in 2022 to $5bn/yr in 2027.”

The minister emphasised that a strong digital economy required innovation, entrepreneurship, and access to capital in the current global technology landscape. According to him, the ministry’s main goal in this regard will be to promote the development and sustainability of startups, with a focus on those coming up with ground-breaking solutions for important economic sectors.

Tijani said, “Recognising the critical role of patient capital in the growth of startups, we are committed to increasing the local availability of patient capital. We intend to create an environment for startups to raise the funding they require to thrive locally and promote the domiciliation of startups within our nation.”

According to Tijani, “Digital transformation and innovation are fast becoming a catalyst for economic progress,” and the “intersection of a strong digital economy and our innovative and youthful population presents us with a unique opportunity to chart a course towards prosperity, inclusion, and global relevance.”

In his remarks on AI, the minister said that over the next 20 years, the technology would usher in a new era of technological and economic change. Tijani emphasised that Nigeria needed to develop a comprehensive national strategy to utilise AI’s potential responsibly and inclusively.

He said, “The implementation of the strategy amongst other things is expected to elevate Nigeria as a top 10 location for AI model training and talents globally. In addition, we will position Nigeria as a global leader in accelerating inclusivity in AI dataset.”

According to Africa: The Big Deal, Nigerian startups raised $1.2 billion in 2022 despite a funding shortage, while a Briter Bridges report says African startups raised $5.4 billion in 2022.

Related Topics:Bosun Tijani Featured Nigerian Startup

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IMF mission concludes 4th loan program assessment in Egypt

Published

1 day ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Following the completion of a recent visit to Egypt, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced that its mission had achieved significant strides in policy talks aimed at concluding the fourth review of the IMF loan program.

The review is the fourth in Egypt’s most recent 46-month IMF loan program, which was authorised in 2022 and increased to $8 billion this year following an economic crisis characterised by high inflation and chronic foreign exchange shortages. It may unleash more than $1.2 billion in financing.

Along with reaffirming its commitment to maintain a flexible exchange rate system, the IMF stated that Egypt “has implemented key reforms to preserve macroeconomic stability,” including the unification of the currency rate that facilitated imports.

Earlier on Wednesday, Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said Cairo has asked the IMF to modify the targets for the programme not only for this year, but for its full duration, he added without giving more details.

“Discussions will continue over the coming days to finalize agreement on the remaining policies and reforms that could support the completion of the fourth review,” the IMF added in its statement.

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Kenya seeks $750m from World Bank, obtains $200m from AfDB— Official

Published

3 days ago

November 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

The head of debt management for the finance ministry told Reuters that Kenya had obtained a $200 million loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and was negotiating a fresh $750 million loan with the World Bank.

After being forced to abandon proposed tax rises costing more than 346 billion shillings ($2.68 billion) in June due to fatal demonstrations, the East African nation’s administration, which has been grappling with significant debt, has been frantically seeking fresh funding.

The Finance Ministry’s public debt management office director general, Raphael Owino, told Reuters that the IMF’s October clearance of the seventh and eighth reviews, which opened the door for a $606 million loan tranche, had aided the ministry’s talks for more loans.

“The World Bank is coming on board, riding on the back of IMF receipts,” Owino said. “The AfDB is already on board.”

The discussions for more assistance, which came under the World Bank’s “Development Policy Operations” (DPO) with the government, were confirmed by a representative at the organization’s Kenya office.

“The amount of the current (loan) is yet to be determined. The amount will also depend on the implementation of the policy reforms agreed upon,” the spokesperson told Reuters, adding that past DPO loans averaged about $750 million.

In May, the World Bank approved the latest round of DPO loans, totalling $1.2 billion.

According to a statement made last month by Finance Minister John Mbadi, Kenya has set a foreign borrowing goal of 168 billion shillings for the fiscal year ending in June 2025.