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Imo Digital City Partners Mobilisation Drive as IDICE Programme Opens Final Registration Window for Young Nigerians
Admin10/05/2026IDCL, Owerri, Nigeria.12:13pm
In a bid to widen participation from the state, the mobilisation effort is being carried out in partnership with Imo Digital City. Stakeholders involved in the exercise have observed that the number of applicants from Imo State remains low relative to the level of interest recorded in other states. Young people across the state are therefore being urged to register before the deadline and to encourage others within their networks to do the same.
IDICE is a Federal Government initiative funded by the African Development Bank, the French Development Agency and the Islamic Development Bank. It is managed by the Bank of Industry. The central objective of the programme is to create employment opportunities for young Nigerians in the digital and creative industries, which are widely regarded as among the most promising sectors for youth employment and economic growth.
Beneficiaries of the programme are expected to receive training in a range of digital and creative skills. The package also includes funding and loan support for startups and small businesses, as well as access to workspaces, mentorship and markets. The programme focuses on areas such as software development, gaming, animation, filmmaking, music, fashion and other creative enterprises. By combining skills acquisition with financial and institutional support, the initiative seeks to equip participants not only to secure employment but also to establish and grow their own businesses.
The partnership with Imo Digital City is aimed at strengthening outreach and ensuring that more young people in the state are aware of the opportunity and are supported to complete the registration process. Imo Digital City is positioned as a hub for digital development and innovation in the state, and its involvement is expected to give the mobilisation drive greater reach among young people interested in technology and the creative economy.
Organisers of the local mobilisation effort noted that many young people remain unaware of the opportunity, while others have yet to complete their registration. They cautioned that once the portal closes, those who miss the deadline may have no further opportunity to join the programme. In view of this, a five-day IDICE Challenge has been launched to widen awareness and boost registration.
Under the challenge, participants are encouraged to reach and register between 10 and 20 young people each day, using the designated registration channel, and to sustain the effort over the following five days. Churches, schools, communities, youth groups, associations, National Youth Service Corps camps and other youth gatherings have been identified as suitable avenues for spreading the information and assisting prospective applicants in completing the process.
Applicants have also been advised on a procedural detail in the registration form. When asked how they heard about the programme, they are to select the option marked "Others" and enter "Leo 1". Organisers explained that this entry places the applicant under the mobilisation team's referral channel and confers certain privileges over other applicants.
The campaign is driven by the stated aim of ensuring that Imo State benefits from the programme more than other states in the southern region. To achieve this, organisers, working together with Imo Digital City, are calling on residents to share the information widely and to assist young people who may lack the knowledge or means to register on their own.
With the registration window closing on Monday, October 5, 2026, prospective applicants are advised to complete their registration without delay in order to secure a place in the programme and access the training, funding and mentorship opportunities it provides.
