Following a painstaking and detailed assessment of applications, the iDICE Startup Bridge has on-boarded 185 founders into the inaugural cohort of its Founders Lab, marking one of the first major milestones in the rollout of the broader Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) Programme.
iDICE is an initiative of the Federal Government that was launched in 2023, as part of the administration’s broader agenda to drive innovation, youth enterprise, and economic diversification. The $617m programme is co-financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), while the Bank of Industry doubles as the executing agency as well as a financier to the programme.
Beyond providing financing opportunities for startups, iDICE was designed as a long-term economic development programme with ambitions that extend across digital infrastructure, innovation hubs, creative industry financing, skills development, investment facilitation, and policy support. The programme shall establish 66 innovation hubs and centres of excellence nationwide, train up to 300,000 young Nigerians in market-relevant digital and creative skills and support hundreds of startups with financing and investment readiness support.
The Startup Bridge initiative represents one of the programme’s direct founder-support pathways. It consists of two tracks: the Founders Lab for early-stage innovators and the Growth Lab for post-MVP startups with existing traction.
Over 7,000 completed applications were received for the Founders Lab shortly after the application portal was opened in March 2026, highlighting both the scale of entrepreneurial ambition across the country, as well as the growing demand for structured support systems for founders. Following a multi-stage review and assessment process, 500 applicants were shortlisted, with 185 founders ultimately selected into the first cohort based on innovation potential, market relevance, and execution capacity.
Speaking on the significance of the initiative, the programme’s Steering Committee chairman, His Excellency Vice President Kashim Shettima, GCON, said: “By unlocking the creative and digital potential of our youth, the Federal Government is investing in sectors that will define Nigeria’s future economy. Programmes like iDICE are creating pathways for young innovators to build globally competitive businesses from Nigeria.”
The selected cohort was intentionally designed to reflect national inclusion, as Founders were selected from across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones, extending participation beyond established startup ecosystems such as Lagos and Abuja. Women enterpreneurs account for 38% of the cohort, surpassing the programme’s 30% gender inclusion target.
Commenting on the onboarding of the cohort, the Managing Director of the Bank of Industry, Dr. Olasupo Olusi described the initiative as an important investment in Nigeria’s next generation of entrepreneurs. He went on to say that these founders represent the ambition, creativity, and resilience of a new generation of Nigerian innovators. Through iDICE, we are helping to build a stronger pipeline of scalable businesses that can create jobs, attract investment, and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s economic transformation.
The programme’s National Co-ordinator, Ife Adebayo expressed optimism that Nigeria’s next set of globally impactful startups would be incubated through the process as the selected founders will now undergo a 12-week intensive programme focused on mentorship, operational strengthening, business development, and investment preparedness. Top-performing participants will also be eligible for grants of up to ₦10 million to help accelerate their ventures.
Applications for the Growth Lab track are expected to open in the coming weeks.
As implementation of the wider iDICE programme continues, additional interventions are expected across infrastructure development, creative sector support, enterprise financing, and digital skills expansion — all aimed at positioning Nigeria as a leading force in Africa’s digital and creative economy.
