By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Federal Government has committed more than N10.5 billion to train over 32,000 young Nigerians in digital skills through the newly launched Digital Training Academy (DTA).
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Monday, 14 September, 2026 in Abuja at the official launch of the academy, saying the programme was designed to bridge the digital skills gap, improve employability and prepare young Nigerians for opportunities in the global economy.
Alausa said beneficiaries would undergo six months of training through platforms including Coursera and Pluralsight and obtain certifications from global technology companies.
He said the training would cover cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, fintech, product management and quantum computing, while enabling participants to work remotely for companies and clients worldwide from Nigeria.
According to him, the academy was a practical expression of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), connecting Nigerian talent with world-class learning, certification, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
“Today, we’re not merely unveiling an online learning portal. We’re opening a new pathway to opportunities for thousands of Nigerians,” he said.
Alausa said the Federal Government had partnered with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) to provide study centres, internet access and facilitators for beneficiaries.
He said the arrangement would address challenges faced by learners who lacked computers, reliable internet access or suitable environments for online learning.
The minister also said the academy would provide beneficiaries of the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme with a pathway to international certifications.
He urged young Nigerians to take advantage of the opportunity to acquire skills that would improve their livelihoods and global competitiveness.
The Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote, described the academy as an investment in people, knowledge and national capacity.
Coker-Odusote said NIMC was committed to providing quality and accessible data to support the Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that digital identity was critical to secure access to opportunities in education, employment, financial services and other areas of the digital economy.
She said the DTA would create opportunities that could contribute to building a $1 trillion economy.
Also, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund, Mohammed Dandutse, urged Nigerian youths to embrace digital training to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and technical skills.
Dandutse pledged the committee’s support for research and innovation aimed at improving the livelihoods of young Nigerians.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said her ministry was committed to expanding opportunities for Nigerians at home and abroad.
Oduwole said the DTA complemented the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), which seeks to connect Nigerian talent with international employers and buyers.
She said NATEP and its partners had recently launched “Hire from Nigeria” to connect Nigerian professionals and service providers with global opportunities.
According to her, the initiative aims to facilitate one million export-linked, digitally enabled jobs by 2027.
Oduwole urged the beneficiaries to maximise the opportunity provided by the DTA and apply their skills to national development.
