Sierra Leone is exploring ways to replicate Nigeria’s flagship Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (i-DICE) programme to tackle youth unemployment, its labour minister said after meeting African Development Bank (AfDB) officials in Abuja.
Labour, Employment and Social Security Minister Mohamed Rahman Swaray and National Commission for Social Action head Ernest Ndomahina met AfDB Director General Abdul B. Kamara on Thursday to discuss how the $638 million initiative could be adapted to Sierra Leone.
The i-DICE programme, run by Nigeria’s government with AfDB, Agence Française de Développement and other partners, supports start-ups and skills training in technology and the creative industries, aiming to diversify the economy and create thousands of jobs.
“We see the transformative potential of AfDB’s impactful work in Nigeria,” Swaray said. “Replicating such a programme in Sierra Leone would greatly support our priorities on youth employment and entrepreneurship.”
Kamara, a Sierra Leonean, welcomed the proposal and said the bank would work with Freetown to identify areas for support through its local office.
AfDB economist Rosemond Offei-Awuku said i-DICE had already stimulated domestic investment and job creation, describing it as “a scalable model” for inclusive growth.
President Julius Maada Bio’s government has pledged to create 500,000 jobs in sectors including agriculture, technology and innovation. Officials said a local version of i-DICE could help achieve that target while encouraging innovation-driven growth.
The Sierra Leonean delegation also toured AfDB’s new purpose-built Abuja office, which Kamara called “a symbol of Africa’s capacity to lead its own development.”
By Lamin Dumbuya
