The Federal Government has launched the iDICE Startup Bridge Programme to support over 500 Nigerian founders and early-stage startups with structured training, mentorship, grants of up to ₦10 million, and equity funding of up to $100,000, in a major push to strengthen the country’s technology and innovation ecosystem.
The initiative, unveiled as part of a nationwide effort to deepen entrepreneurship, is designed to help aspiring founders and early-stage businesses move from ideas to viable enterprises while creating sustainable jobs across Nigeria’s fast-growing digital and creative sectors.
Operating under the broader Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) Programme, the Startup Bridge serves as a strategic platform to connect innovation with capital, skills, and market opportunities. The programme is being implemented by the Bank of Industry with support from international development partners including the African Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement, and the Islamic Development Bank.
At its core, the iDICE Startup Bridge Programme is structured to address one of the biggest challenges facing Nigerian entrepreneurs — access to early-stage support and funding. By combining training, mentorship, grants, and equity investment, the programme aims to provide a clear pathway for founders to build, validate, and scale their ideas into sustainable businesses.
To achieve this, the programme has been divided into two distinct tracks: the Founders Lab and the Growth Lab, each tailored to meet entrepreneurs at different stages of their journey.
The Founders Lab, which has already opened for applications, targets individuals with innovative ideas or early-stage prototypes. It is designed as a 12-week intensive capacity-building programme focused on helping participants refine their concepts, develop viable business models, and build minimum viable products (MVPs).
Through a structured curriculum delivered by experienced facilitators and industry experts, participants will receive hands-on training and mentorship aimed at transforming raw ideas into practical, market-ready ventures. The programme places strong emphasis on validation, ensuring that participants are not only building products but also solving real problems with clear market demand.
Each year, 250 aspiring entrepreneurs will be admitted into the Founders Lab. From this pool, 100 high-performing participants who meet the programme’s milestones will receive grants of up to ₦10 million to support product development or officially launch their startups.
Providing insight into the design and intention of the programme, Head of Founders Lab, Cindy Ezerioha, described it as a critical bridge between innovation and funding.
“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.”
Beyond the early-stage focus of the Founders Lab, the programme also includes the Growth Lab, which is set to be introduced in a later phase. This track is designed for startups that have already developed MVPs and are beginning to gain traction in the market.
Startups selected for the Growth Lab will receive equity investment of up to $100,000, or its naira equivalent, to help scale operations. In addition to funding, participating startups will benefit from advisory support aimed at strengthening governance structures, improving fundraising strategies, and preparing for engagement with institutional investors.
Organisers say this dual-track structure ensures that entrepreneurs are supported at critical points in their journey, from idea development to market expansion.
The programme is also expected to serve as a direct pipeline to investors, offering participating startups increased visibility and opportunities to secure follow-on funding. Ventures that successfully attract additional investment from qualified external investors may also qualify for match funding, further boosting their growth potential.
Over multiple cohorts, the iDICE Startup Bridge Programme is projected to support more than 500 startups across Nigeria. Stakeholders believe this could significantly strengthen the country’s innovation pipeline and position Nigeria as a more competitive player in the global technology landscape.
Speaking on the broader vision behind the initiative, Vice President Kashim Shettima emphasised its role in driving economic inclusion and job creation, particularly for young Nigerians.
“iDICE 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 Bank of Industry, which is leading the implementation of the programme, has also highlighted its commitment to expanding access to finance and supporting enterprise development across key sectors.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Olasupo Olusi, said the initiative aligns with the institution’s broader mandate to drive industrial growth and support businesses across Nigeria.
“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 further noted that the bank has significantly scaled its financing efforts in recent years, underscoring its capacity to deliver on the objectives of the programme.
“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.”
Applications for the Founders Lab opened on March 16, 2026, and will close on April 20, 2026, with organisers stating that selections will be based on a transparent and merit-driven evaluation process.
With its combination of funding, mentorship, and structured support, the iDICE Startup Bridge Programme is positioned as a major intervention aimed at unlocking the potential of Nigerian entrepreneurs and accelerating the growth of the country’s startup ecosystem.
