By Halima Muhammad

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) says it is targeted 10,000 more registrations under the 618 million dollar Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (i-DICE) Programme.

This, it said followed the enrolment of 4,000 prospective beneficiaries.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the North-Central region recorded more than 37,000 registrations against its overall target of 50,000 young people under the programme.

The Acting Managing Director of Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA), Dr Chudi Ugwuada-Ezirigwe, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja by the agency’s Team Lead, Corporate Communications, Emmanuel Tortiv.

Ugwuada-Ezirigwe, who is also the FCT Focal Person for i-DICE, described the initiative as a game-changing intervention designed to unlock Nigeria’s digital and creative economy.

He said the country’s greatest employment challenge was not a shortage of talented young people or innovative ideas, but the need for a robust ecosystem.

According to him, such an ecosystem will transform innovation into sustainable businesses and long-term employment opportunities.

He said the programme provided a strategic platform for enterprise development, skills enhancement, access to finance and partnerships to enable young Nigerians compete globally.

“As the FCT Focal Person, our responsibility is to mobilise stakeholders and strengthen collaboration.

“We also ensure that young people in the Territory take full advantage of the opportunities available through this programme,” he said.

He commended the Minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, for infrastructural development, which he said continued to create an enabling business environment.

He added that the development was stimulating the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the territory.

The statement also quoted Mr Aaron Adeola, Programme Associate of Tech4Dev, an i-DICE implementation consultant, said the initiative was aimed at developing globally competitive Nigerian professionals.

He said the programme would enable them to provide world-class services to international organisations without relocating abroad.

Adeola said Nigeria possessed a strong talent pool as demonstrated by Nigerians’ achievements across various professional sectors globally.

He said the initiative sought to address talent migration by creating opportunities for young Nigerians to remain in the country so that our talents no longer have to travel out of the country to work.

“They can stay in Nigeria and still deliver jobs that meet global standards. That is the essence of this programme,” he added.

He also highlighted the “Hire” from Nigeria Initiative, a strategic component of i-DICE that promotes international recruitment of Nigerian professionals working within the country.

Adeola said the initiative had attracted international attention, including discussions during the recent United Nations General Assembly.

He said Nigeria was positioning itself alongside countries such as India and the Philippines as a hub for global outsourcing and business services.

He commended the Federal Government for providing policy support and an enabling environment for the growth of Nigeria’s digital and creative industries.

In their goodwill messages, Mrs Jumai Kwache, who  representied the Director, Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Department of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), commended AEA.

Similarly, Rotarian Bibby Kala-Kala, Director-General of Ugwumba Leadership Centre, applauded the agency for convening the stakeholders’ engagement.

They pledged to brief their respective leaderships about the programme and facilitate stronger linkages with young people interested in its opportunities.

The i-DICE Programme is a 618 million dollar national initiative jointly financed by the Federal Government and international development partners.

It is anchored by the Office of the Vice-President and implemented through the Bank of Industry (BOI).

The programme is being implemented in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and private-sector partners.

It targets 300,000 Nigerians aged between 15 and 35 who are building careers or businesses in the technology and creative industries.

The programme provides digital skills training, creative industry support, business process outsourcing opportunities and access to venture capital, equity financing and other funding opportunities.

Registration is free, and interested applicants are encouraged to register through www.idicestartupbridge.ng.(NAN)

Edited by Ese E. Ekama-Williams