Nigeria: Government, Public Sector

Nigeria's technology economy has long operated with a structural contradiction: businesses built and run from Nigeria are often incorporated offshore. Itana, Nigeria's first licensed digital free zone, aims to resolve this by adapting the country's free-zone framework to accommodate technology, finance and service businesses that don't require significant physical infrastructure.

Nigeria presented 65 investment projects worth about US$78.5 billion to investors at the IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok on 14 October 2026. That figure is what the projects need, not money already committed, and a project that looks fundable in a pitch deck is not yet ready to build. Before any of these projects can lawfully break ground, it has to clear Nigeria’s environmental rules: an environmental impact assessment (EIA) under the EIA Act where the project is likely to significantly affect the environment, approval of that assessment, and the permits NESREA and state agencies enforce.

Licensed by Nigeria's Export Processing Zones Authority, Itana represents Africa's first digital special economic zone designed specifically for technology, finance and service businesses. Unlike traditional free zones focused on physical goods, this innovative structure offers Nigerian tech entrepreneurs an alternative to incorporating abroad, allowing them to retain value generated by local talent while still accessing global capital markets.

An individual or entity that desires, intends, or is actively negotiating to buy a parcel of land in the Federal Capital Territory (“FCT”) must apply great care and show diligence in every stage of the transaction.

Lagos is launching a €410 million water transport project to transform its underutilized waterways into a viable public transit system. Can this ambitious initiative overcome regulatory conflicts between federal and state authorities, infrastructure gaps, and deeply ingrained commuter habits to finally make water transport work in Africa's largest city?

This document provides a comprehensive overview of regulatory updates from August 2026, compiling key guidelines, letters, circulars, and notifications issued by Nigerian authorities. Legal professionals and businesses...

The Gulf of Guinea has witnessed a significant transformation in maritime security threats, with illegal fishing emerging as a critical challenge following the decline in piracy incidents. This analysis examines how Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing has evolved into a major economic and security concern for Nigeria and neighboring West African states, exploring the legal frameworks, enforcement gaps, and systemic weaknesses that enable this lucrative criminal activity to persist despite inte

This comprehensive review examines Nigeria's major policy developments introduced in March 2026, spanning tax reform, education verification, humanitarian protection, health regulation, climate risk management, security...

In an era marked by digital connectivity, governments must walk a delicate line between the public’s right to know and individuals’ right to privacy.

Nigeria's technology economy has long operated with a structural contradiction: businesses built and run from Nigeria are often incorporated offshore. Itana, Nigeria's first licensed digital free zone, aims to resolve this by adapting the country's free-zone framework to accommodate technology, finance and service businesses that don't require significant physical infrastructure.

Nigeria's space programme stands at a crossroads as World Space Week 2026 celebrates the 'Rocket Revolution'. With institutions like NASRDA and the Centre for Space Transport and Propulsion already in place, can strategic investment, modern regulation, and public-private partnerships transform Nigeria from a consumer of space technology into a contributor to the global space economy?

The August Policy Trend Trail examines policy developments aimed at improving Nigeria’s economic potential through consumer protection, digital infrastructure, and the operationalisation of existing policy frameworks. The policies considered span across various sectors such as real estate, corporate commercial, taxation, public, postal, and digital economy sectors. Notwithstanding the diversity of sectors, the policy analysis reveals a shared common thread: the need to address structural gaps that have long constrained Nigeria’s economic growth and reduced consumer confidence. This Policy Trail examines not only the substance of each reform, but also the practical implementation questions that will ultimately determine their impact.