Nigeria’s iDICE Startup Bridge launches with grants and $100,000 equity

Nigeria’s federal government has launched the iDICE Startup Bridge, a structured two-track initiative that will offer idea-stage founders grants of up to ₦10 million ($7,215) and equity investment of $100,000 for post-MVP startups, with applications for the first cohort now open. 

Implemented through the Bank of Industry and financed by the African Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement, and the Islamic Development Bank, iDICE Startup Bridge operates under the broader Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) program, a federal initiative tied to Nigeria’s digital economy agenda.

The programme is the most ambitious early-stage startup support initiative the federal government has deployed in years, and one of the few designed to reach founders outside Nigeria’s traditional tech hubs. By targeting all 36 states and the FCT, it signals a deliberate attempt to broaden Nigeria’s innovation pipeline beyond Lagos and Abuja, where the overwhelming majority of Nigerian startup capital has historically concentrated.

“Founders Lab is a bridge that connects potential to proof, and proof to capital,” said Cindy Ezerioha, Head of Founders Lab, iDICE Startup Bridge. “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.”

Launched in 2023 with $617.7 million in funding, iDICE is a federal government initiative designed to promote investment in Nigeria’s digital and creative sectors. It made its first startup investment in late 2025 through Ventures Platform, one of Africa’s most active seed-stage venture capital firms. The iDICE Startup Bridge is the government’s latest effort under the initiative to deepen early-stage startup support through structured training, mentorship, and access to capital.

The Founders Lab, the first pathway under the Startup Bridge, opened for applications on March 16. It is a 12-week capacity-building programme designed for idea-stage and early prototype founders. The programme focuses on validation, business model development, and MVP creation through a structured curriculum delivered by expert facilitators. 

Each year, 250 participants will receive capacity-building support and mentoring, with the top 100 founders who meet programme milestones receiving grants of up to ₦10,000,000 ($7,215)  to support product development or the launch of their ventures.

The Growth Lab, scheduled to launch in a later phase, will target post-MVP startups demonstrating traction, revenue potential, and operational readiness. Selected startups will receive $100,000 in equity investment, along with support to scale operations, strengthen governance, and refine their fundraising strategy. 

The programme will also provide a direct pipeline to institutional investors to enable follow-on funding, while startups that secure additional investment from qualified external investors may access match funding.

“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,” Vice President Kashim Shettima, Chairman of the iDICE Steering Committee, said.

The Bank of Industry, the implementing agency, says it has disbursed ₦636 billion to enterprises across various sectors in Nigeria, its largest annual disbursement. Out of this figure, ₦43 billion was disbursed to projects in the creative & digital sectors.

“We are happy to replicate our success over time with the iDICE Startup Bridge as well,” said Dr. Olasupo Olusi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Industry.

Whether that capacity for volume translates into the kind of high-touch mentorship and investor connectivity that early-stage founders need will be one of the programme’s early tests.

Applications for the Founders Lab close on April 20, 2026, and will be evaluated through a merit-based selection process aligned with published criteria. Interested startups can apply at www.startupbridge.ng