During the 140th meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), which was held virtually, it was disclosed that only 16 out of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had submitted reports on the proposed establishment of state police, despite the fact that all the states expressed their support for it. The council endorsed the implementation of the $617.7 million Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (i-DICE) programme in the 36 states and the FCT.
Moreover, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation revealed that the states and FCT were yet to refund the N1.72 trillion budget support grant granted to them by the previous administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, several months after its disbursement.
The chairman of the council, Vice President Kashim Shettima, reiterated the firm resolve of the new administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to leave a legacy of prosperity and opportunity for all Nigerians. He urged state governors to nominate persons to represent each geo-political zone at the zonal level and focal persons to lead the implementation of the programme in their respective states.
During his opening remarks at the meeting, Sen. Shettima emphasized that the administration would prioritize skill acquisition and job creation to provide Nigerians with the opportunity to bask in the promised opportunities. He also urged the governors and other council members to remain constant in executing initiatives that would help the citizens out of their present condition.
The Executive Director in charge of Small and Medium Enterprises at the Bank of Industry, Mr Shekarau Omar, presented the i-DICE programme, which is a special intervention by the government designed to deliver on the promise made by the Tinubu administration to create millions of jobs in the technology space.
He disclosed that the African Development Bank, AfDB, the French Development Agency, AFD, and the Islamic Development Bank, IsDB, among other organizations, would fund the programme. He further revealed that 1,269,757 youths would be trained and certified in ICT skills, with at least 25,000 youths trained in each state of the federation and the FCT.