The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Kaduna State Chapter, has commended the Federal Government of Nigeria for its approval and commencement of implementation of the $170.6 million iDICE Funds under the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises Programme.
On this achievement, the Association extends greetings to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Bank of Industry, Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy and other key players.
In a statement issued by the Kaduna state Coordinator of FTAN, Dr. Tobi Bernard Thomas, explained that the 50/50 govt-private structure is a direct enabler of the innovation and jobs agenda for Nigeria’s 242.4 million people.
The statement which was made available to journalists in Kaduna at the weekend, also explained that Kaduna should be designated as the first pilot under the approved “Twin Cities of Culture & Tech proposal, alongside Ibadan.
Adding that Kaduna FTAN is ready to partner with the government in the implementation process, while also calling for the establishment of ‘Joint Twin Economy Taskforce for the realization of the $1 trillion GDP by 2030.
The state Coordinator of FTAN in the statement also said that transparency and states inclusion are key to the actualization of the project.
“Ensure transparency and state inclusion, pilot criteria, timelines and state allocations should be published to build confidence across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
” FTAN Kaduna appreciates the Federal Government, AfDB, AFD, IsDB, BOI, and Kuramo Capital for operationalizing iDICE. We also acknowledge our industry partners, including Twins World Creations and the Adediran twins, whose #TwinningInLove2026 union inspired the national blueprint.
” If two couples can capture the world’s attention in one weekend, two Ministries working as twins can deliver the best for 242 million Nigerians,” Thomas explained.
He further said that, with the iDICE now approved, “we must move from policy to projects without delay.
“FTAN Kaduna stands ready to host the Joint Taskforce Secretariat and coordinate the Kaduna pilot.”