Who We are

Itana (formerly Talent City) will be Africa’s first Digital Free Zone - the ideal online jurisdiction for global digital & services companies (start-ups, technology, finance and business service companies) to operate and scale with ease across Africa. This will be coupled with a $500m eco-friendly physical start-up district in Alaro City Free Zone (Lagos) for up to 5000 people and a $20m live-in accelerator program 

Free Zones are designated areas where registered companies receive regulatory and business incentives e.g. tax, banking, immigration, customs etc to attract FDI. In Nigeria & most of Africa, policies and incentives for Free Zones were designed for traditional industries like Oil & Gas and Manufacturing. Since 2015, Nigerian traditional Free Zones brought in $15bn and created 52,000 jobs. This is a small fraction of the potential of the country and continent. 

Due to globalization and the expansion of the internet, digital services and remote work are becoming more prevalent. Digital Free Zones are attractive to global digital and service companies, as in the case of Itana, it will have policies designed for digital companies & enable global businesses operate in a Nigerian free zone remotely from anywhere in the world, thus improving the ease of business, capital inflow and Foreign Direct Investment into Nigeria and with the application of the AfCFTA Agreement to the rest of Africa. 

In November 2022, the Federal Government of Nigeria engaged Itana to develop and operate the first digital free zone in Nigeria. We are now in the pilot phase of the digital free zone and intend to go fully live by Q2 2023. Taking case studies from other continents, this could be one of the most impactful projects in the century to accelerate Foreign Direct Investment in Nigeria & the rest of Africa’s digital economy. 

Itana CEO is Luqman Edu and is backed by founding investor Iyinoluwa Aboyeji (founder of 2 unicorns – Andela & Flutterwave), global venture capitalists LocalGlobe, Amplo, and Pronomos Capital. Read our features in TechCrunch, Financial Times, Wired, and The Future Of. 

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Job Summary

The Director/ Head of Business & Partnerships will work closely with the CEO and is responsible for leading the development and execution of a comprehensive business strategy for Itana Digital Free Zone & Start-up district. 

The role will mostly entail leading the team that will: i. provide business advice to global companies in our pipeline on the benefits & ideal business structure of Itana to their business and ii. seek and close new leads and channel partners for offtake of Itana business license and start-up district products. Furthermore, this person will be key in shaping the business strategy and go-to-market strategy of Itana. This person will gradually build and lead a business executive department.

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Key Responsibilities: 

● Work with executives in crafting Itana business and GTM strategy 

● Identify and secure new business opportunities, business channels and customer segments for Itana; 

● Represent Itana in discussions with global companies interested in Itana Business License and Itana District. 

● Provide bespoke business advice on business structure and benefits of Itana to potential clients. 

● Create and iterate on efficient B2B sales processes (including qualifying leads, conducting discovery calls, pitching, closing, and follow up) 

● Build & lead the business executives department 

● Conduct industry-relevant research as needed 

● Craft and present business and partnership decks 

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Qualifications: 

● Minimum of 5 years experience in a leading international business Consulting or Advisory firm firm (preferably top 10 global firms e.g. Mc Kinsey, Bain & Company, Boston Consulting, PWC, KPMG, Deloitte etc) 

● Proven Experience in supporting global businesses/investors setting up in Nigeria/Africa ● Preferably already residing in Nigeria but has worked in a similar role in US or Europe ● Sales/Business Development Traits 

● Proven track record of successfully managing and closing business deals ● Ability to handle high-stake partners and stakeholders 

● Proven working experience (minimum of 5 years) in a business development or partnerships role or demonstrated related experience 

● Solid knowledge of B2B/CRM software and analytics tools 

● A team player and familiar with remote work and asynchronous communication and collaboration 

● Ability to manage complex projects and multi-task 

● Exceptional negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills 

● Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities 

● Ability to define their own goals and KPIs and to flourish with minimal guidance ● Ability to handle uncertainty and thrive in an early stage startup environment and to wear multiple hats 

● Entrepreneurial experience a plus!

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Interested applicants should  email their resume/CV to coco@itana.africa