The Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, is set to roll out a $617 million Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (IDICE) Fund in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB).
At a high-level meeting held in Abuja on Thursday with the AfDB Director General, Mr. Lamin Barrow, the Minister highlighted the huge potential of the creative economy to generate employment opportunities for millions of young Nigerians.
“With eager anticipation from the creative community, the IDICE fund emerges as a landmark transaction, providing a strategic platform for directing additional long-term financing into this dynamic sector.
“We are delighted that the conditions precedent for the release of IDICE funds are nearing completion.
“We eagerly anticipate providing start-up funds to young creatives, facilitating the development and monetization of their talents.”
The Minister commended AfDB and other parties to the transaction for their remarkable achievement, which is now being emulated by other African nations.
She applauded the impact investment focus, which includes elements such as geographical spread, the first-loss position of the FGN, and grants for capacity development, stressing that FMACCE will reflect this spirit in its nationwide awareness campaign on the initiative.
The Minister also highlighted that the IDICE structure offers a platform through which the fund-raising initiatives of her ministry can be secured and assured that this opportunity will be thoroughly explored.
“Nigeria, having solidified its position as a global hub for music, film, and visual art, is strategically positioning itself to leverage the IDICE funds.
“This move aims to consolidate its global standing and propel further expansion within the creative industry, in sub-sectors such as design, gaming, content creation, animation, culinary arts, and publishing.”
Mr. Barrow, an integral part of the collaborative effort, provided insight into the fund structure, clarifying that IDICE is built around a world-class governance framework, incorporating a Steering Committee that includes Minister Musawa.
“AfDB has appointed the Bank of Industry as the executing agency to manage programme implementation, reporting directly to the steering committee.
“The initiative is set to forge strategic partnerships with selected universities and polytechnics, major technology companies, and key players in the private sector.”
In a significant milestone for the Nigerian creative landscape, the Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has cemented the groundbreaking partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to launch the $617 million Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (IDICE) fund.
This transformative fund is poised to unleash unparalleled growth, with the potential to catalyse over $1 billion of growth in the creative economy upon full deployment.
Acknowledging the eagerness of the creative community, Barrow averred that “the youth are understandably impatient. Since the approval of IDICE, we have received daily inquiries about the launch. While the processes are intricate, we are on the verge of the roll-out phase.”
The Special Adviser on Media to the Minister, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, explained in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune that IDICE is an initiative spearheaded by the Federal Government of Nigeria that aims to foster entrepreneurship and innovation in digital technology and creative industries.
“It addresses the challenges of access to risk capital and innovation ecosystem capacity faced by start-ups.
“IDICE comprises two major components: the intervention fund, a $147 million fund supporting enterprise and skills development, and the sectoral fund, a $433 million fund divided into three categories:
“Creative Fund: equity or quasi-equity to startups and SMEs in the creative sector.
“Tech Fund: equity or quasi-equity to innovative early-stage and growth-stage start-ups.
Fund of Funds: Participations in closed-end venture capital funds or creative business-focused funds.”
