FG rolls out iDICE startup bridge with funding assist

The Federal Authorities has formally moved to solidify Nigeria’s place as Africa’s main tech hub with the launch of the iDICE Startup Bridge, a nationwide initiative set to offer a structured lifeline to over 500 expertise entrepreneurs.

This formidable programme affords a strategic mixture of intensive coaching, multi-million naira grants, and six-figure fairness investments to founders throughout all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Working beneath the broader Funding in Digital and Artistic Enterprises programme, the initiative is a collaborative powerhouse funded by the African Growth Financial institution, Agence Française de Développement, and the Islamic Growth Financial institution, with the Bank of Industry serving as the first implementing company.

The programme is strategically divided into two distinct streams to handle the various wants of the ecosystem: the Founders Lab, a twelve-week incubator for idea-stage ventures, and the Development Lab, designed to scale start-ups that already present market traction and income potential.

Talking on the initiative in a press release, the Chairman of the iDICE Steering Committee, Vice President Kashim Shettima, stated, “iDICE was created to unlock sustainable jobs and financial inclusion for Nigeria’s youthful inhabitants. This programme offers younger entrepreneurs throughout the nation an actual alternative to construct or scale, and we’re assured in its means to reshape early-stage enterprise growth and innovation outcomes over time.”

This launch comes on the heels of a historic monetary yr for the Bank of Industry, throughout which Dr Olasupo Olusi highlighted that the financial institution’s dedication to the digital financial system is now backed by unprecedented capital deployment.

The Managing Director and Chief Govt Officer of the financial institution, Olusi, stated, “In 2025, we achieved a document whole disbursement of N636bn to enterprises throughout Nigeria, marking the biggest annual disbursement within the Financial institution’s historical past. Out of this determine, N43bn was disbursed to tasks within the inventive and digital sectors. We’re comfortable to copy our success over time with the iDICE Startup Bridge as properly.”

For a lot of Nigerian founders, the transition from an excellent concept to a practical enterprise mannequin is usually hindered by an absence of early-stage capital. The Founders Lab goals to bridge this particular hole by offering N10,000,000 grants to 100 high-performing individuals yearly, whereas the Development Lab will provide $100,000 fairness investments to start-ups demonstrating operational readiness.

“Founders Lab is a bridge that connects potential to proof and proof to capital. Every cohort will assist 125 aspiring entrepreneurs, with a transparent goal of making certain progress from idea to validated enterprise fashions. This programme is constructed for folks with modern concepts, early prototypes, or unanswered questions on take their first actual step,” stated the Head of Founders Lab, iDICE Startup Bridge, Cindy Ezerioha.