Enugu State has taken a significant step towards building a structured and sustainable innovation economy, with stakeholder consultations on the domestication of the Nigerian Startup Act now reflected in the State’s 2025 MSME and Startup Agency Law.
The Enugu State Government, through the Enugu MSME & Startup Agency (Enugu SME Center), in conjunction with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), convened the Nigerian Startup Act Domestication Exercise to bring together government stakeholders and critical players across the technology ecosystem.
The engagement attracted startup founders, investors, academics, innovation hubs and other ecosystem stakeholders, providing a platform for participants to contribute directly to the development of a framework capable of addressing the realities and needs of businesses operating within Enugu’s emerging technology and innovation space.
Discussions focused on critical areas including access to finance, talent and digital skills development, innovation infrastructure, regulatory support, incentives and market access, with the objective of ensuring that the State’s startup framework was shaped by the practical experiences and needs of the ecosystem.
The outcome of those engagements has now been incorporated into the Enugu State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Startup Agency Law, 2025, assented to by His Excellency, Barr. Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, giving legal backing and permanence to a range of interventions aimed at strengthening entrepreneurship and innovation in the State.
Among the key provisions are a Startup Support and Engagement Portal, the Enugu Digital Economy Identity System (EDEI), venture capital and startup investment funds, grants and credit support, human capital and digital skills development, and Digital Economy Enhancement Zones (DEEZs).
The law also provides for regulatory sandboxes, targeted investment incentives, BPO and IT-enabled outsourcing, talent export, research commercialisation and improved access to local and global markets.
Beyond the individual provisions, the process demonstrates an approach to policymaking in which stakeholders within an emerging industry are engaged before legislative frameworks are established.
For Enugu’s technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem, the ambition is to create an environment where innovative ideas can access the capital, talent, infrastructure, markets and policy support required to grow into sustainable businesses.
The development also aligns with the broader economic transformation agenda of the Mbah administration, which has increasingly placed digital skills, technology, entrepreneurship and innovation at the centre of efforts to create new economic opportunities for residents.
From ecosystem dialogue to policy, from policy to law, and from law to implementation, Enugu is laying the institutional foundation for an innovation economy built to last.
Peter Mbah — From Vision to Impact.
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