The Ivorian government has unveiled its Startup Act, a framework designed to support the country’s most talented entrepreneurs in achieving their goals.
The first specific startup law globally was passed in Italy in 2012, and Tunisia and Senegal were the first two African countries to enact them. A host of countries, including Mali, Ghana, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Kenya, are at varying stages of enactment. The Nigeria Startup Act was signed into law in October.
Ivory Coast has made technological innovation a priority in its national development plan, looking particularly at high-potential startups, and it has now unveiled a new legal framework – the Ivorian Startup Act, which is awaiting parliamentary approval. The news results from a reflection initiated in 2018.
“A meeting with our Tunisian counterparts during a benchmarking study at the end of 2022 accelerated the process,” said Florence Tahiri Fadika, technical advisor in charge of innovation and change at the country’s Ministry of Communication and the Digital Economy. “Tunisia is one of the first countries in Africa to have implemented a Startup Act. Their model is inspiring because it is very operational. The benchmarking mission, organised by the NTF V project, enabled us to benefit from Tunisia’s experience and to identify good practices.”
Following Tunisia’s model, the Ivorian Startup Act is driven by a strong political will and intends to bring concrete results.
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