The Federal Government has launched a Digital Training Academy to equip 32,000 Nigerians with free digital skills and internationally recognised certifications to improve employability and participation in the global digital economy.
The six-month programme was unveiled in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, and is being implemented under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative through the Nigeria Education Digital Infrastructure programme in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking at the launch, Alausa said the Academy was designed to bridge the country’s digital skills gap and connect talent to world class learning, certification, productive work and enterprise. He said the initiative goes beyond providing an online learning portal to create a measurable link between skills acquisition and economic opportunities.
According to the Federal Ministry of Education, the programme attracted 72,850 applications from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory between August 17 and September 1, 2026, out of which 19,699 met the entry requirements, while 16,000 beneficiaries have been selected for the inaugural cohort. The remaining beneficiaries will be accommodated in subsequent phases.
Beneficiaries will receive training through global learning platforms including Coursera and Pluralsight, with access to professional certifications from organisations such as Google, IBM and Huawei. The training will cover high demand areas including software development, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cybersecurity, cloud computing, IT automation, fintech, product management, natural language processing and quantum computing.
The Ministry said access centres, computers, internet connectivity, facilitators and mentors have been provided to support learners without personal devices, while the programme will be delivered in partnership with the National Open University of Nigeria and Yaba College of Technology.
Alausa disclosed that the government has committed over N10.5 billion to the intervention, stressing that the investment must translate into jobs, businesses and increased productivity for participants who can work remotely for global clients without leaving the country.
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