The Federal Government has selected 16,000 Nigerians for the inaugural cohort of its newly launched Digital Training Academy, a six-month programme designed to equip participants with digital skills and professional certifications.
The Federal Ministry of Education disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.
The ministry said the academy received 72,850 applications from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, out of which 19,699 applicants met the entry requirements.
Speaking at the launch of the programme in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, said the initiative was established to tackle Nigeria’s digital skills gap and expand access to opportunities in the global digital economy.
The Digital Training Academy is being implemented under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative through the Nigeria Education Digital Infrastructure programme and is aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The government said the six-month intervention would eventually train 32,000 Nigerians, with participants expected to acquire skills in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, cloud computing, IT automation, Natural Language Processing and quantum computing.
According to the ministry, beneficiaries will have access to international learning platforms, including Coursera and Pluralsight, while also pursuing professional certifications from global technology organisations such as Google, IBM and Huawei.
To support the programme, the Federal Government said it would provide computers, internet connectivity, access centres, facilitators and mentors required for effective training.
The ministry said the academy was designed to go beyond conventional digital training by connecting skills acquisition with employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
“The Ministry will track certification, employment and enterprise outcomes to ensure a measurable pathway from skills to productive opportunities,” the statement said.
The initiative comes amid growing demand for workers with technology-related skills as businesses and government institutions increasingly rely on digital systems and services.
The ministry said the programme would contribute to improving employability, supporting entrepreneurship and positioning Nigerians to take advantage of opportunities in the expanding global digital economy.
