The Federal Government says it has unveiled two initiatives, Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) Program and Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA) which are designed to provide Nigerian youths with digital skills.
The Federal Government of Nigeria says the two initiatives are coming to provide Nigerian Youths with the skills, opportunities and support that is that is needed to survive in this fast paced and growing world as millions of young Nigerians enter the labour market each year with limited job prospects.
The iDICE Programme, which aims to empower young Nigerians and drive innovation in tech and creative sector, is implemented by the Bank of Industry and co-funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), Agence française de développement (AFD) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), is targeted at youths between ages 15-35.
iDICE aims to provide 800,000 direct and indirect jobs nationwide for youths that will be provided with the skills, funding and resources that will improve their chances of getting employed and to support entrepreneurship, according to the promoters of the progamme.
Under the plan, the initiative is expected to train and certify 175,000 youths in ICT and other digital skills that are critical to modern industry, provide funding for early stages ventures in tech and creative industry. It will also establish at least 75 Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs) which will provide mentorship for small businesses and sandboxes to encourage innovation.
Over the programmmes’ five year span, iDICE will empower 80,000 women as they will benefit from training, mentorship and funding opportunities in a bid to bridge gender gaps in technology and entrepreneurship. This, according to government, will promote greater inclusivity in Nigeria’s digital economy.
In addition, The Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA) is an extensive online and mobile learning platform for young Nigerians to connect, learn and grow. This will connect Nigerian youths to experts, professors, institutions, and organisations, career and funding opportunities and engagement for grassroots youths through community programmes.
The launch of iDICE and NiYA aims to transform Nigeria’s socio-economic landscape by reducing poverty, boosting the economy and empowering Nigerian youths in order to build a strong economy, according to government.
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