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Anambra Govt Takes Major Leap towards Domestication of Nigeria Start-Up Act with Stakeholders’ Engagement
Anambra State Government has restated its commitment to supporting the streamlining of the state governance systems for greater efficiency, through development of frameworks, laws and procedures.
The State Deputy Governor, Dr Ifeanyichukwu Ibezim made the disclosure during a forum to kick off a two-day stakeholders’ engagement on the domestication of the Nigerian Start-Up Act in Anambra State, held in Awka.
Dr Ibezim re-echoed the dedication of the Chukwuma Soludo-led administration, to making Anambra a technological hub, adding that with the disruptive changes the governor is introducing to the state governance, anyone who fails to keep pace, will be left behind.
He praised the collaboration between the government and partners supporting startups, emphasizing the importance of a tech-driven administration, a promise kept by Governor Soludo’s administration.
He said; “You all seated in this room are the gold we have; we are not looking elsewhere. The journey has just begun and I encourage you to deliberate and chart the course forward for a better Anambra.”
Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, CFA, MD/CEO of Anambra State ICT Agency, in his goodwill message, posited that the stakeholders’ engagement was imperative to ensure that the Act meets the peculiarities of the state and does not just stand as an imposition of a national law.
CFA de-emphasized the notion of a one-size-fits-all approach to the Nigeria Startup Act, highlighting Anambra’s unique strengths in commerce and trade.
Citing instances with successful ecosystems worldwide and in Lagos on a national level, he attested to Governor Soludo’s commitment to laying the groundwork for innovation through the installation of high-speed broadband internet and the ongoing deployment of fibre cables across the state.
“Innovation lies in the private sector while the government will come up with policies,” he said, urging the ecosystem stakeholders to take charge.
He emphasized that, similar to global trends with OpenAI 4.0 and Google’s Gemini, the private sector should not wait for government intervention but should proactively drive the agenda for a thriving tech ecosystem, with the government playing catch-up.
Describing the Nigeria Startup Act as a co-created legislation emerging from the intersection of displacement and disruption, Mrs. Tracy Okoro Isaac, the State Adoption Lead for the Nigeria Startup Act, reminded the stakeholders that the engagement was history in the making.
She quipped; “In 10 years, you will fondly recall being part of the group that collaborated to establish an ecosystem capable of nurturing Anambra’s unicorns”
Mrs. Okoro-Isaac disclosed that the Act is hinged on four pillars- funding, human development /capacity building, and infrastructure (both software and hardware, internet connection), adding that the Act aims to ensure accessibility and prevent unnecessary migration by fostering innovation, underscoring the Act’s importance for establishing accountability and responsibility, providing concise regulations with clearly defined roles.
She highlighted the success stories of local entrepreneurs, such as those behind Flutterwave and Paystack, who built their startups independent of significant government support, urging attendees to envision the possibilities of creating a united ecosystem that supports startups collectively.
Expressing satisfaction with Governor Soludo’s commitment to innovation, Mrs. Isaac stated that participants were there to contribute to creating a modular startup law, that would shape Anambra’s future.
The convener of the session and Special Adviser to the Governor on Innovation and Business Incubation, Ms. Chinwe Okoli, described the session as more than a legal formality, asserting that it is a profound statement of intent to propel Anambra into a hub of innovation.
“We are fortunate to have a governor who comprehends the transformative influence of technology, setting the groundwork for a state driven by innovation. Our purpose here, therefore, is to participate in this game-changing initiative which is a catalyst for growth and a blueprint shaping the future of our dear state”, she added.
On her part, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning underscored the importance of sustainability, urging stakeholders to safeguard the integrity of the startup ecosystem.
Emphasizing the need to protect both investors and investments, her remarks set the tone for a session that sought not only to embrace change but to ensure its lasting impact.
For the MD of ANSIPPA, Mr. Mark Okoye, stakeholders must commit to actualizing the potentials of the numerous state government’s infrastructure efforts.
The State Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, NASME, Chinemerem Oguegbe, lamented the current lack of structure and synergy in the ecosystem as it were while advocating for a more organized approach to attract opportunities.
“The ecosystem in Anambra state is quite different but we are not organized as entrepreneurs nor structured to attract opportunities.
“Let us look for ways to import IT and tech into our businesses,” he urged.
The Dean, Faculty of Physical Sciences, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Prof. K.K.Nwozor, while transitioning to the crux of the matter, acknowledged the need for mentorship beyond youth-focused initiatives and highlighted the untapped potential within Anambra’s universities.
He however applauded Mr. Governor’s appointment of Prof. Kate Omenugha as the Acting Vice-chancellor of the university, describing it as one that will further support the technology drive in the state.
Mr. Dilibe Chinweze, representing hub owners, echoed the call for synergy, emphasizing the importance of investing locally.
As the event concluded, the overarching message was clear – Anambra State is on the brink of a technological revolution and the ICT Agency MD’s impassioned call to stakeholders, amongst other voices, echo as a rallying cry for the private sector to seize the opportunity, taking the lead in shaping a future where Anambra’s innovation ecosystem thrives on its own terms.
The event also featured a presentation on understanding and leveraging the opportunities of the Nigeria Startup Act by Mrs. Okoro Tracy, along with a Startup Pitch Competition with prizes presented by ANSIPPA, SID, and partner, VFD group.
Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN) has dragged Tunji Bello, executive vice chairman, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), before the Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged disobedience of a subsisting court order in a legal dispute involving telecom-based lending services.
Tunji Bello, EVC, FCCPC
Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria initiated this in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/760/2026 pending before the court.
According to court documents, Bello was issued a Form 49 Notice to Show Cause, directing him to appear before the court on 22 May 2026 to explain why an order of committal should not be made against him for allegedly failing to comply with interim orders issued by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa on 15 April 2026.
The court had earlier granted interim injunctions restraining the FCCPC, its officers, agents and privies from enforcing provisions of the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations 2025 against members of WASPAN, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The restraining orders specifically barred the commission from interfering with services rendered by WASPAN members, including airtime lending, data advances and other mobile value-added services.
The orders also restrained the FCCPC from imposing sanctions, penalties or directives connected to the disputed regulations.
In the Form 49 notice dated 18 May 2026, WASPAN alleged that despite being aware of the court orders and having been served with Form 48 — the statutory notice warning against disobedience of court orders — the FCCPC and its Executive Vice Chairman allegedly continued actions contrary to the directives of the court.
The notice stated that the alleged contemnor refused to comply with the orders and had continued to deliberately defy the orders of the court.
An affidavit of service filed before the court disclosed that Form 48 was served on Bello at the FCCPC headquarters located at 23 Jimmy Carter Street, Asokoro, Abuja, on 6 May 2026.
The latest development followed earlier proceedings in which Justice Lewis-Allagoa declined an application by the FCCPC seeking to vacate the interim injunction.
The court instead directed that the substantive suit and the commission’s preliminary objection be heard together.
WASPAN is challenging the FCCPC’s authority to regulate telecom-based lending services, arguing that certain provisions of the DEON Regulations encroach on the statutory powers of the Nigerian Communications Commission to regulate telecommunications services in the country.
Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria, is the primary self-regulatory body and trade association for licensed Value-Added Service (VAS) providers and aggregators in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector
Lagos State government has raised alarm over the growing misuse of its emergency hotlines, and warned that fake calls are delaying response times and putting lives at risk.
According to the state, fake emergency calls or prank calls, account for a massive majority of distress communications—nearly 70 per cent.
This severe misuse dangerously delays response times for real emergencies like fires, crimes, and medical crises, and wastes critical first-responder resources
Olugbenga Oyerinde, commissioner for Special Duties, called the numbers (nearly seven out of every 10 calls made to Lagos emergency hotlines) deeply troubling.
The scale of the disruption has significantly affected emergency response operations, with the government disclosing that 5.47 million incoming calls went unanswered during the period under review.
The abandoned call rate climbed sharply from 9.3 per cent in January 2025 to 37.6 per cent by April 2026, suggesting worsening pressure on operators handling emergency traffic.
Officials warned that if the current trend continues, more than 7.2 million calls could go unanswered before the end of 2026
The Lagos State Command and Control Centre serves as the central coordination hub for emergency response agencies across the state, including the fire service, ambulance services, traffic management authorities and neighbourhood safety operatives.
According to the report, the sheer volume of fake and misdirected calls has forced the system to devote significant operational resources to filtering non-emergency traffic before genuine distress cases can be handled.
To address the growing burden, the ministry said it plans to introduce artificial intelligence-driven call screening technology designed to detect and filter nuisance calls before they reach human operators.
The proposed system, expected to be introduced before the end of 2026, is projected to reduce operator handling time by 35 per cent.
Other reforms outlined in the ministry’s strategic response plan include expanding agent capacity by 40 per cent, deploying automated callback systems for abandoned calls and establishing a real-time analytics dashboard for emergency response monitoring.
Yet one of the most striking figures in the report was not the 16.39 million nuisance calls, but the fact that only 39 calls were officially categorised as hoax calls requiring legal follow-up during the same period.
Google and Blackstone (BX.N), said they will form an artificial intelligence cloud business venture aimed at capitalising on an insatiable demand for AI computing services.
Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager, will invest an initial $5 billion in equity to help bring 500 megawatts of data centre capacity online in 2027, with further expansion planned over time.
The U.S.-based venture will provide data centre capacity along with Google’s custom AI chips, known as Tensor Processing Units, or TPUs, through a compute-as-a-service model.
The total investment value could reach $25 billion, including leverage, according to Bloomberg News.
Both companies did not immediately respond to a request for comments on the Bloomberg report. Blackstone has appointed Benjamin Sloss, a long-time Google executive, as CEO of the new venture.
Thomas Kurian, chief executive of Google Cloud, said the venture would help address growing demand for TPUs by offering organisations additional ways to access computing capacity.
Analysts and investors have said Google is taking a sizeable share of new AI-driven computing demand, supported by its business tools and custom chips that have attracted customers such as Anthropic.
“This isn’t the biggest headline number we’ve seen. But it’s a high-quality bet on sustainable growth in AI infrastructure,” said Brittain Ladd, AI and supply chain consultant at Florida-based Chang Robotics.
Blackstone has stepped up investments in AI-related infrastructure, including data centres, power generation and transmission assets.
Those investments are valuable as the AI boom pushes operators to secure long-term energy supply deals.
The new partnership reflects rising demand for AI infrastructure and the need for large-scale capital deployment, Blackstone President Jon Gray said.
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