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A new nationwide initiative aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s technology entrepreneurship pipeline has been unveiled with the launch of the iDICE Startup Bridge Programme, a platform designed to support more than 500 aspiring founders and early-stage startups across the country.
The programme will provide structured training, mentoring, grants of up to N10 million and equity investments of up to $100,000 to selected participants as part of efforts to help innovators transform ideas into viable businesses and scale promising startups.
The iDICE Startup Bridge operates under the wider Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) Programme, a flagship initiative of the federal government designed to unlock jobs and expand enterprise development in Nigeria’s fast-growing digital and creative sectors.
The programme is implemented by the Bank of Industry and supported by international development partners including the African Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement, and the Islamic Development Bank.
According to the organisers, the initiative reflects a coordinated national effort to deepen Nigeria’s startup ecosystem, broaden access to early-stage capital, and provide the structured support many founders need to transition from concept to commercially viable businesses. To address the needs of entrepreneurs at different stages of growth, the iDICE Startup Bridge has been designed around two distinct pathways: Founders Lab and Growth Lab.
The Founders Lab, which has officially opened for applications, is a 12-week capacity-building programme targeted at idea-stage founders and entrepreneurs with early prototypes.
The programme focuses on helping participants validate their ideas, develop sustainable business models, and build minimum viable products (MVPs).
Through a structured curriculum delivered by experienced facilitators and industry experts, participants will receive mentoring, training, and guidance aimed at helping them translate concepts into practical ventures.
Each year, 250 aspiring entrepreneurs will participate in the Founders Lab programme. Out of this pool, 100 high-performing founders who successfully meet the programme’s milestones will be awarded grants of up to ₦10 million to support product development or the launch of their startups.
The Growth Lab, scheduled to be rolled out in a subsequent phase, is designed for startups that have already built MVPs and are beginning to show market traction.
Startups selected for this pathway will receive $100,000 — or the naira equivalent — in equity investment to help scale operations. Beyond capital, participating startups will also receive advisory support to strengthen governance structures, refine their fundraising strategies, and prepare for engagement with institutional investors.
Organisers said the programme will serve as a direct pipeline to investors, giving participating startups opportunities to secure follow-on funding. Ventures that successfully attract additional investment from qualified external investors may also be eligible for match funding under the scheme.
Over several cohorts, the iDICE Startup Bridge is expected to support more than 500 Nigerian startups nationwide, a move stakeholders say could significantly strengthen the country’s innovation pipeline and accelerate the growth of the technology ecosystem.
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Commenting on the broader vision behind the initiative, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who chairs the iDICE Steering Committee, said the programme was designed to unlock economic opportunities for Nigeria’s youthful population.
“iDICE (Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises) was created to unlock sustainable jobs and economic inclusion for Nigeria’s youthful population,” he said.
“This programme, created under the iDICE umbrella, gives young entrepreneurs across the country a real opportunity to build or scale, and we are confident in its ability to reshape early-stage enterprise development and innovation outcomes over time.”
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Industry, Olasupo Olusi, also underscored the institution’s role in supporting Nigeria’s enterprise development ecosystem.
“As the implementing agency of the iDICE Programme, the Bank of Industry is proud to support the iDICE Startup Bridge through which we are creating clear pathways for ideas to become enterprises, and enterprises to become engines of growth,” he said.
Olusi noted that the bank had significantly scaled its financing activities in recent years.
“In 2025, we achieved a record total disbursement of N636 billion to enterprises across various sectors in Nigeria, marking the largest annual disbursement in the bank’s history and reinforcing our position as the nation’s leading development finance institution for industrial and enterprise growth,” he said.
“Out of this figure, N43 billion was disbursed to projects in the creative and digital sectors. We are happy to replicate our success over time with the iDICE Startup Bridge as well.”
He added that applications for the Founders Lab pathway opened on March 16, 2026, and will close on April 20, 2026, noting that the selection process will follow a clearly defined merit-based evaluation system.
Providing further insight into the programme’s design, Cindy Ezerioha, Head of Founders Lab for the iDICE Startup Bridge, described the initiative as a crucial link between entrepreneurial potential and access to capital.
“Founders Lab is a bridge that connects potential to proof, and proof to capital,” she said.
“Each cohort will support 125 aspiring entrepreneurs, with a clear target of ensuring progress from concept to validated business models. This programme is built for people with innovative ideas, early prototypes, or unanswered questions about how to take their first real step.”
With its blend of training, mentorship, grants, and investment capital, the iDICE Startup Bridge is expected to play a key role in nurturing the next generation of Nigerian technology founders while strengthening the country’s broader innovation ecosystem.
