$617 Million: Acquisition in Digital and Creative Enterprises to be undertaken by Nigeria

By Abdul Rahman Bangura–

NEW AFRICA DAILY NEWS (NADN) Freetown, Sierra Leone–This action is in an endeavor to deliver employment for Nigeria’s teeming youth population through digital careers.

Kashim Shettima – Vice Pr ident of Nigeria instructed the constituents of the iDICE Steering Committee to ensure that the program begins before the end of November this year. The VP gave the message on Friday when the i-DICE team gave him an update on the improvement made so far during a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Senior Special Assistant on Media and Picity, Stanley Nkwocha, said the Vice President was cited to have empathized the significance of the enterprise to the Federal Government program digital jobs drive, saying the administration was eager on providing on its pledges to Nigerians. He thus exhorted all partners in the i-DICE programme to provide reasonable utilization of the $617.7 million scheme could be a game changer.

“The peculiarity of the challenges we face in the country demands that we have to create jobs for our teeming youths to address the crises associated with youth unemployment. I want to appeal to all of us here to unite and see that this programme takes off latest by the end of November this year.

“I am interested in getting a weekly update on what is being done to kickstart this programme. We also need to spread out to cover the whole country so that there is inclusivity. If we judiciously utilize these funds, the target impact and anticipated benefits will be immense.

“I want to assure the technical committee, all those working on this programme and our international partners, that you will get all the support that you will need. We mean business. My boss, President Bola Tinubu, is passionate about the transformation of this country. So, you have nothing to worry about the government’s support”.

The Minister of Finance – Wale Edun, characterized the project as “very key to the promise of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly to the youth, for the creation of 1.2 million digital jobs.

“This $617 million project will go a long way to achieving the President’s priorities on job creation and economic growth, particularly inclusivity. One of the major elements is going to have 50% participation by women.”

For New Africa Daily News Abdul Rahman Bangura Reports,  Africa Correspondent