Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The Federal Government has committed over N10.5 billion to the Digital Training Academy (DTA) to equip more than 32,000 young Nigerians with skills needed to compete in the global digital economy.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who announced this on Monday in Abuja at the official launch of the Academy, said the DTA is designed to close Nigeria’s digital skills gap, boost employability, and create pathways for Nigerians to work remotely for global companies without leaving the country.
He described the initiative as a direct implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI).
The minister said beneficiaries will undergo six months of training on platforms including Coursera and Pluralsight and will receive certifications from leading global technology firms.
Key training areas include ICT, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, fintech, product management and quantum computing.
To ensure no one is left behind, the Federal Government has partnered with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) to provide study centres, internet access and facilitators for learners who lack devices or reliable connectivity.
The Academy will also serve as a certification pathway for participants of the 3 Million Technical Talent, 3MTT programme.
The Director-General of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, said digital identity would be critical for Nigerians to access education, jobs and financial services. She described the DTA as “an investment in people, knowledge and national capacity” that would help build a one-trillion-dollar economy.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, said the Academy complements the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), which aims to create one million export-linked digital jobs by 2027.
She noted that NATEP’s ‘Hire from Nigeria’ platform will connect DTA graduates to international employers.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Dandutse, pledged legislative support for research and innovation to strengthen the programme.
Alausa urged Nigerian youths to take advantage of the opportunity.
“Today, we’re not merely unveiling an online learning portal. We’re opening a new pathway to opportunities for thousands of Nigerians,” he said.
The launch marks one of the largest federal investments in digital skilling to date.