Choplife, the entertainment, media, technology, gaming and intellectual property company founded by Nigerian musician Mr Eazi, has moved its operations to Itana, Nigeria’s first digital special economic zone.

The move changes Choplife’s corporate and regulatory base. The company said Itana’s regulatory environment and its focus on simplifying cross-border operations were key factors behind the decision.

Choplife is the latest company to move into Itana, which now hosts around 50 companies. Itana became operational in September 2023. The digital zone targets businesses that want to operate globally from Africa.

It offers services such as multicurrency accounts, access to international markets, and a regulatory structure designed to reduce the challenges of running a cross-border business from Nigeria.

“We’re excited to welcome Mr Eazi and the team at Choplife,” said Chinyere Inya, Itana’s chief executive officer.

She said Choplife’s expansion reflects the growing number of innovative companies choosing to build from Itana while serving global markets.

Mr Eazi, whose real name is Oluwatosin Ajibade, said Itana was a logical choice for Choplife. The company’s content is largely created in Africa, even though it reaches audiences around the world.

Ajibade said the move would allow Choplife to centralize its operations while keeping its business firmly rooted in Africa.

Choplife joins other companies operating from Itana, including Reliance Infosystems, Circular Energy, MasteryHive, Udu Technologies and Yamify.

Ajibade traced Choplife’s origins to emPawa Africa, the music company he founded in 2019. The business later expanded into events and intellectual property through Detty Rave, as well as sports through 1v1 Africa.

Choplife launched as a brand in 2020, bringing these different ventures together.

Today, the company operates across entertainment, media, technology, gaming and intellectual property. Its portfolio includes music, film, sports and gaming-related businesses.

Choplife currently operates across several African markets, including Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Botswana, Sierra Leone, Mali and Liberia.

Ajibade said one of the biggest challenges facing pan-African businesses is the fragmented nature of operating across multiple countries.

Companies must often navigate different licensing, banking, foreign exchange, tax and corporate requirements in each market. This can create significant administrative costs and slow down expansion.

Ajibade said businesses can also miss opportunities because setting up operations in a new market can take too long. The challenge is particularly relevant to cross-border payments.

Africa’s cross-border payments market is projected to reach $1 trillion by 2035. However, businesses moving money across the continent still face transaction costs averaging between 7.4% and 8.3%.

Business registration can also take weeks in some African countries. A Norebase report found that incorporation timelines vary widely and can reach 20 weeks in countries such as Angola.

Choplife turned to Itana in an effort to reduce some of these administrative challenges.

According to Ajibade, the company wanted a jurisdiction that could simplify Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Business (KYB) requirements, as well as banking, foreign exchange and corporate processes.

Itana’s digital-first structure provides a centralized regulatory hub for companies operating across markets.

Businesses in the zone can access multi-currency accounts, receive and hold foreign currency revenue, and move capital across borders.

Itana also provides tax incentives and exemptions designed to reduce operating costs for businesses based in the zone. These include exemptions from standard corporate and other taxes, subject to the applicable rules and conditions.

Itana CEO Chinyere Inya said the zone works with other jurisdictions and organizations on cross-border capital movement. This includes discussions connected to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Companies can also incorporate remotely. According to Itana, the process can be completed in as little as two weeks. Beyond the digital zone, Itana is developing a physical district in Alaro City, within the Lagos State Lekki Free Zone corridor. The aim is to create a community where companies and talent can work alongside the digital infrastructure.

Choplife has already started using the Itana infrastructure. Ajibade said local engineers are working from Nigeria as part of the company’s operations.

He also discussed plans for a shared physical campus at Itana, where Choplife could work alongside other companies based in the zone.

The company also plans to use its Itana base to increase investment in content production, including film and media.

Choplife’s move is significant because it tests whether Itana can support companies built around African intellectual property, rather than focusing only on traditional technology businesses.

Inya said the creative sector needs a stable jurisdiction where talent, ideas, products and services can be developed and managed more efficiently.

She added that Itana wants to provide a one-stop business environment that supports companies beyond incorporation. This includes post-incorporation services that businesses need to operate and grow within their chosen jurisdiction.

Itana also sees the creative economy as an important part of Nigeria’s long-term economic development.

According to Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, the creative sector contributes about 2.3% of Nigeria’s GDP.

The sector is also expected to create an additional 2 million jobs by 2030.

Choplife’s move to Itana could therefore provide an important test of whether digital special economic zones can help African creative businesses scale across borders.

For Choplife, the move to Itana is about more than changing its corporate address.

The company is seeking to build a pan-African business from an African base while reducing the administrative barriers that can make cross-border expansion difficult.

As Itana continues to attract companies from technology, finance and the creative economy, Choplife’s experience could offer an early indication of how effective the model can be for African businesses with global ambitions.