Vice President Kashim Shettima has inaugurated a technical committee to kick off the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) Programme, describing the development as the dawn of a new era in the country.
The iDICE Programme, a collaborative effort between the government and international partners, including the Bank of Industry (BoI), African Development Bank (AfDB), French Development Agency (FDA) and Islamic Development Bank (IDB), aims to nurture and empower enterprises in the digital and creative sectors.
The National Economic Council (NEC) had in its last meeting endorsed the implementation of the $617.7 million i-DICE programme in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.
Speaking on Wednesday during the inauguration of the technical committee, the vice president expressed optimism about the initiative’s potential to redefine the nation’s digital and creative space.
He said: “We embark on a journey of innovation, collaboration, and boundless opportunity – a journey that holds the power to redefine the trajectory of our nation’s digital and creative landscape,” revealing that the Ministry of Finance has been mandated to ensure the expeditious disbursement of funds for the iDICE Programme, paving the way for its swift implementation.
Speaking earlier, the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters (Office of The Vice President) and chairman of the Technical Committee on the iDICE programme, Tope Kolade Fasua, noted that iDICE’s substantial financial backing underscores the programme’s potential to drive transformative change in Nigeria’s digital and creative sectors.
