Last week, to help cushion the effects of the necessary lockdown on tech companies the Nigerian information technology development agency (NITDA) inaugurated a committee consisting of prominent technology experts. To achieve the aim of why the committee was set up, NITDA is working on an exemption for companies offering essential services during the lockdown, It is doing this with an online form to identify those companies as directed by the Nigerian federal government.
This initiative is important given the confusion that ensued amongst logistics and eCommerce players as a result of the lockdown. A confusion that led to the temporary shut down of a Jumia warehouse last week.
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Other than exemption for tech-enabled companies, the recommendation also includes the reduction of tax burdens on companies and access to affordable internet services.
The issue of affordable and reliable internet services, taxation, and power, still remain major issues for a lot of companies and individuals.
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Unlike Kenya and other African countries, no Nigerian network provider has reduced the cost of data. Recent pleas by the minister of communications and digital economy to reduce data and call tariffs have gone unheeded.
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