General

Itana is Africa’s first Free Zone with a mission to unlock and scale the digital economy of the continent.We’re a tech-powered company built on three major pillars: Community, Policy, and Infrastructure.

‍Community: a global community of ambitious founders and startup operators building the future of Africa

‍Policy: a legal and regulatory framework that allows businesses to seamlessly incorporate and provide services to Africa’s largest markets, and enjoy several benefits of the free zone.

‍Infrastructure: an eco-friendly live-work-build environment that enables you to do your best work.

Derived from the Yoruba work Itanna which means to kindle a fire, we’re building an enabling environment to nurture entrepreneurs, creatives, and every kind of builder.

This is a designated economic zone specifically designed to encourage business growth.

We’re building Africa’s first Digital Free Zone to unlock the potential of the digital economy by providing favourable policies, regulations, infrastructure, and community.

Modelled after successful digital free zones such as Shenzhen, Dubai,  Estonia, and Delaware, Itana allows businesses operating digitally to set up a business entity and operate fully online from anywhere in the world.

Not exactly, Itana is on a journey to create an ecosystem of innovation that drives the growth of the digital economy in Africa.

We aim to foster a community that highlights Africa's unique strengths, rich cultural diversity, and promising growth opportunities.

The Itana Business License is your gateway to operate in Africa’s first Digital Free Zone. It’s a digital certificate that enables you to operate in the zone, and leverage its benefits to scale your business.

The Itana Business License (aka Itana Free Zone Enterprise) is designed for tech and service-based businesses looking to;

• build a global business from Nigeria, and export services to the global economy
• expand their services into Africa from other international markets.

General criteria for companies that Itana is suited for include:

• Must be a technology/services company
• Offer a product or service that sells to a global or pan-African audience and user base
• Global company with global investors
• Have or plan to have operations in Nigeria or employ a Nigerian talent workforce
• Have raised funding or revenue-generatingIn the future, Itana will be able to provide its services to businesses providing a wider range of services.

If you have specific questions, please contact support@itana.africa.

Itana is currently running a private beta with only 100 companies.

‍We’re working closely with a small group of ambitious companies to design the policies that’ll shape the future of Digital Free Zones on the continent.

As pioneer companies, they’ll also get premium business advisory sessions, access to Itana’s network of investors, and marketing perks at the official launch of Itana in Q2 of 2024 including exhibition booths, access to VIP delegates, and so on.

If you’d like to participate in the private beta, kindly send an email to coco@itana.africa

The Itana Business License is an operating license that grants the holder permission to provide services in the Itana Free Zone.

The Itana Digital Residency, on the other hand, is a community of ambitious founders, committed to building services for Africa, and the world. Members of the community get access to exclusive events, resources, and support services.

‍Learn more about the Itana Digital Residency →

Alaro City is an integrated, mixed-use city planned on over 2,000 hectares in the Lekki Free Zone. They’re the City Manager where Itana’s live-build-work physical district will be located.

Itana-incorporated companies i.e. Free Zone Entities can render services to businesses within the Nigerian Customs’ Territory, however, they’ll be subject to the relevant taxation laws.