Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The Federal Government has admitted 16,000 Nigerians into the first cohort of the Digital Training Academy (DTA), a free initiative aimed at equipping youths with globally competitive digital skills.
National Coordinator of the Special Projects and Innovation Unit at the Federal Ministry of Education, Adebayo Onibanjo, announced this on Wednesday during a pre-launch media briefing in Abuja.
The national launch is set for September 14, 2026.
Onibanjo said the academy received 72,850 applications from across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) between August 17 and September 1, adding that of that number, 19,699 met the entry requirement and 16,000 were selected.
The DTA is being implemented under the Nigeria Education Digital Infrastructure (NEDI) programme, a key component of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI).
Training will be delivered via Coursera and Pluralsight. The ministry said the programme aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Data and Digitalisation pillar of NESRI.
Quoting the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, Onibanjo described the academy as “the next phase of President Tinubu’s commitment to building a highly skilled workforce”’
He added that the 16,000 learners are just the beginning, noting that the cohort “establishes the foundation, the systems, and the delivery partnerships on which subsequent cohorts will be built”.
The ministry thanked applicants and partners including the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, YabaTech, NOUN, Coursera and Pluralsight.