The Federal Government, through its Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme, has announced plans to introduce two additional funds in 2026 to boost Nigeria’s technology and creative sectors.
The initiative is targeted at expanding financing opportunities for startups across the federation.This development follows the formal commencement of iDICE investments, marked by an anchor investment in a new venture fund led by Ventures Platform, a pan-African seed-stage investment firm.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who chairs the iDICE Steering Committee, described the move as a major step toward unlocking the potential of Nigerian youth.
The new fund secured a first close of $64 million last Thursday based on investor commitments. Ventures Platform was appointed in August 2025 as Fund Manager for the technology component of iDICE after a competitive bidding process overseen by programme partners.
With the latest investment, iDICE joins a consortium of institutional investors, including the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Standard Bank of South Africa, and British International Investment (BII), in the Ventures Platform fund, which aims for a final close of $75 million.
