Abuja:The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is targeting an additional 10,000 registrations under the $618 million Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (i-DICE) Programme, following the successful enrolment of 4,000 prospective beneficiaries.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the North-Central region has recorded more than 37,000 registrations against its overall target of 50,000 young people. This was revealed by Dr. Chudi Ugwuada-Ezirigwe, the Acting Managing Director of Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA) and FCT Focal Person for i-DICE, in a statement issued by Emmanuel Tortiv, the agency’s Team Lead for Corporate Communications.
Ugwuada-Ezirigwe described the i-DICE initiative as a transformative effort aimed at unlocking Nigeria’s digital and creative economy. He highlighted that the country’s primary employment challenge is not the lack of talented youth or innovative ideas but the necessity for a robust ecosystem to convert innovation into sustainable businesses and long-term employment opportunities. The programme is designed to provide a strategic platform for enterprise development, skills enhancement, access to finance, and partnerships to enable young Nigerians to compete globally.
He also expressed gratitude to the Minister of the FCT, Mr. Nyesom Wike, for infrastructural development efforts that are fostering an enabling business environment, thereby stimulating the growth of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the territory.
The statement further included comments from Mr. Aaron Adeola, Programme Associate of Tech4Dev, an i-DICE implementation consultant, who emphasized the programme’s aim to develop globally competitive Nigerian professionals. Adeola noted the initiative’s focus on addressing talent migration by creating opportunities for young Nigerians to work within the country while providing world-class services to international organizations.
He also mentioned the ‘Hire from Nigeria Initiative,’ a strategic component of i-DICE that encourages international recruitment of Nigerian professionals. Adeola highlighted that this initiative has gained international attention, including discussions at the recent United Nations General Assembly, positioning Nigeria alongside countries like India and the Philippines as a hub for global outsourcing and business services.
In goodwill messages, Mrs. Jumai Kwache, representing the Director of Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Department of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and Rotarian Bibby Kala-Kala, Director-General of Ugwumba Leadership Centre, commended the Abuja Enterprise Agency for its efforts and pledged to strengthen linkages with young people interested in the programme’s opportunities.
The i-DICE Programme is a national initiative jointly financed by the Federal Government and international development partners, anchored by the Office of the Vice-President and implemented through the Bank of Industry (BOI). It targets 300,000 Nigerians aged 15 to 35, providing digital skills training, creative industry support, business process outsourcing opportunities, and access to venture capital, equity financing, and other funding opportunities.
Source News Agency of Nigeria