iDICE Skills-to-Jobs Program Targets 300,000 Nigerians

In Short

Nigeria has launched the iDICE Skills-to-Jobs program to train 300,000 young people and connect most of them to paid work in digital and creative roles.

What Happened

The Federal Government has rolled out the iDICE Skills-to-Jobs initiative nationwide across all six geopolitical zones. iDICE stands for Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises.

The plan is to train Nigerians aged 15 to 35, then link them to jobs. The government says the target employment linkage rate is at least 80%. That implies at least 240,000 participants could move into roles after training.

The program is part of a wider iDICE package valued at $617.7 million. Funding is co-financed by the African Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement, and the Islamic Development Bank. The Bank of Industry is listed as both a co-financier and the executing agency, meaning it helps run delivery and oversight.

Training is split into three levels, Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. Delivery combines online learning and physical sessions. The goal is to reduce barriers like location, connectivity, and device access for learners in both urban and rural areas.

Six implementing partners, one anchored in each zone, have been selected to train participants and place graduates into opportunities. Those opportunities include Nigeria’s local digital and creative economy and the global outsourcing market, which is when companies abroad hire remote talent for tasks like design, software support, and content production.

The government also highlighted inclusion targets. At least 40% of beneficiaries should be female. At least 5% should be people living with disabilities and young people who are Not in Employment, Education, or Training, often shortened to NEET.

Why It Matters

Nigeria already has a large youth population, but many skills programs stop at certificates. iDICE Skills-to-Jobs is being framed as “training that ends at a job”, with placement targets and partner accountability.

For startups and employers, a program at this scale could widen the pool of job-ready junior talent over the next few years. For young Nigerians, it could increase access to entry-level digital jobs and cross-border remote work, which can pay better than many local options when skills match demand.