The iDICE Programme, Nigeria’s US$617 million initiative supporting digital and creative enterprises, has been named an official Deal Room Partner for Afreximbank’s Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND 2026), as the programme seeks to connect young businesses with investors and new financing opportunities.
The event will take place in Lagos from November 5 to 8, 2026, under the theme “One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World.” It is expected to bring together creative professionals, investors, financial institutions, policymakers and development partners from across Africa and the diaspora.
The Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) Programme is a Federal Government of Nigeria initiative implemented by the Bank of Industry (BOI). With a funding commitment of US$617 million, it supports Nigerians aged 15 to 35 who are building businesses in the technology and creative industries. Its activities include skills development, business support, access to finance and the development of infrastructure needed to grow these sectors.
The programme is co-financed by the Bank of Industry, the African Development Bank (AfDB), Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).
A major part of iDICE’s involvement at CANEX WKND 2026 will be its Deal Room, designed to bring investment-ready digital and creative businesses into direct discussions with investors and financial institutions. Between 15 and 20 enterprises from the programme’s pipeline are expected to participate.
The Deal Room is expected to host between 40 and 50 meetings between investors and participating businesses. The discussions will involve iDICE-backed fund managers Ventures Platform and Kuramo Capital, the BOI-iDICE Debt Fund, the Bank of Industry’s Non-Interest Banking team, which manages an IsDB-supported financing facility, and other participating financial institutions.
The meetings are intended to help businesses secure investment leads and establish relationships with potential financiers beyond the four-day event. Rather than limiting participation to networking, the Deal Room will provide a structured setting for entrepreneurs to present their businesses and explore funding opportunities directly with investors.
The Bank of Industry and iDICE will also participate in high-level discussions on financing and technology in the creative economy. Programme-supported businesses will be presented at the iDICE exhibition stand, giving attendees an opportunity to learn more about the enterprises receiving support through the initiative.
Speaking about the programme’s participation, National Coordinator of iDICE Ife Adebayo said Nigeria’s digital and creative industries could contribute to economic growth, employment, exports and the country’s international competitiveness. He stressed the need for continued investment in businesses, access to finance and the development of young people’s skills.
Adebayo said the Federal Government and the Bank of Industry were working with development partners through iDICE to address these needs and strengthen the environment in which digital and creative businesses operate. He also described CANEX WKND as an opportunity to build relationships with industry stakeholders, connect entrepreneurs with investors and develop partnerships that could support the sector’s growth.
He further explained that the Deal Room was designed to move discussions towards actual investment opportunities by bringing promising businesses from the iDICE pipeline together with financiers interested in supporting them. The programme will also use the event to demonstrate the support already reaching young Nigerian entrepreneurs and creatives.
Entrepreneurs attending CANEX WKND 2026 are encouraged to visit the iDICE exhibition stand to find out about the programme’s financing and business support opportunities. These include non-interest financing, which is open to all enterprises that meet the relevant eligibility requirements.
Through its participation, iDICE is using the Lagos gathering to strengthen connections between Nigeria’s creative and technology businesses and the financial institutions that can help them expand. For participating entrepreneurs, the Deal Room offers an opportunity to present their businesses to potential investors and begin discussions that may continue after the event.
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