The Federal Government has unveiled the investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) skills training-to-jobs programme, aimed at grooming 300,000 young Nigerians and connecting them directly to careers in the digital and creative sectors.

The nationwide initiative, which is rolling out simultaneously across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is targeted at Nigerian youths aged 15 to 35.

The programme is built on a direct commitment to job placement rather than mere certification, targeting an employment linkage rate of at least 80 per cent, which would provide job opportunities for a minimum of 240,000 graduates.

The initiative is delivered under the $617.7 million iDICE programme, co-financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), Agence Française de Dévelopment (AFD), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the Bank of Industry (BOI), which also serves as the executing agency.

The programme seeks to drive sustainable economic growth by positioning Nigerian talent within domestic markets and the global outsourcing economy.

To ensure regional delivery, six implementing partners have been competitively selected to represent each geopolitical zone.

The curriculum offers a hybrid mix of online and in-person sessions, structured into basic, intermediate, and advanced tracks to accommodate participants regardless of location or background.

According to the government, inclusion remains a central mandate of the rollout.

A minimum of 40 per cent of total beneficiaries will be female, while at least five per cent is reserved for persons living with disabilities and youths categorised as ‘not in employment, education or training (NEET).

Speaking at the launch, Vice-President Kashim Shettima highlighted the administration’s strategic shift towards outcome-focused workforce development.

He said the initiative is a concrete expression of the present administration’s commitment to youth empowerment and job creation.

“Through the iDICE skills-to-jobs initiative, we are not training young Nigerians and leaving them to find their way. We are building the bridge from skills to employment, connecting 300,000 of our brightest young people to digital and creative jobs that the 21st-century global economy demands.”

Reinforcing the economic imperative behind the funding, the Managing Director of the Bank of Industry (BOI), Dr Olasupo Olusi, emphasised the scheme’s broader macroeconomic benefits.

He described the programme as centred on sustainable economic transformation, noting that the skills-to-jobs component is one of its most powerful levers.

By channelling the Federal Government’s investment into a structured pipeline of digitally-skilled, job-ready young Nigerians, we are catalysing BOI’s primary mandate to facilitate economic growth,” Olusi said.