The Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) has launched a new financing initiative to enable beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme to acquire laptops and other digital devices through affordable consumer credit.
Gatekeepers News reports that the initiative, known as Credit for Laptops, Internet, Connectivity and Knowledge Digital Devices (C.L.I.C.K.D.), was unveiled on Tuesday in Abuja in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
According to a statement by CREDICORP, the pilot phase will provide 1,000 locally assembled laptops to eligible 3MTT fellows through the Learn2Earn platform, with 77 beneficiaries receiving their devices during the launch ceremony.
Under the programme, Fidelity Bank will serve as the credit administration partner, while the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and Imose Technologies will assemble the laptops locally.
Speaking at the unveiling, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said the initiative is aimed at ensuring Nigerians not only acquire digital skills but also have access to the tools needed to participate effectively in the country’s expanding digital economy.
“Nigeria’s digital economy can only thrive when our people have both the skills and the tools to succeed,” Tijani said.
“Through C.L.I.C.K.D., we are helping qualifying Nigerians participate more fully in the opportunities created by the 3MTT initiative while strengthening local manufacturing through the use of locally assembled devices.”
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of CREDICORP, Uzoma Nwagba, said the programme eliminates the financial barrier to owning digital devices while encouraging responsible consumer credit and supporting local manufacturing.
“C.L.I.C.K.D. transforms digital devices from a barrier into an opportunity. By embedding affordable consumer credit into a national talent programme like 3MTT, starting with locally assembled laptops, we are giving qualifying Nigerians a responsible pathway to the tools they need to learn, work and earn, while advancing the federal government’s vision for industrial development and job creation on both sides,” Nwagba said.
CREDICORP described C.L.I.C.K.D. as its flagship digital device financing programme, noting that it will eventually be expanded beyond the 3MTT initiative to cover a wider range of internet-enabled devices and digital tools for working Nigerians.
The corporation also said it plans to partner with more financial institutions, device manufacturers, technology vendors, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), training institutions and other stakeholders to broaden access to affordable digital devices across the country.
