By Felix Khanoba
The Federal Government has committed more than N10.5 billion to the Digital Training Academy (DTA), a major initiative targeted at equipping over 32,000 young Nigerians with digital skills for employment and entrepreneurship in the global economy.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the official launch of the academy, saying the programme was designed to address the country’s digital skills gap and expand access to international opportunities for Nigerian youths.
According to him, the initiative would improve the employability of beneficiaries while positioning them to compete with their counterparts across the world.
Alausa said the DTA was a practical component of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), with a focus on connecting Nigerian talents to quality learning, global certification, productive employment and entrepreneurship.
He said beneficiaries would undergo six months of training through platforms including Coursera and Pluralsight, with opportunities to obtain certifications from leading global technology companies.
The minister added that the programme would create opportunities for Nigerians to work remotely for companies and clients across the world without having to leave the country.
Among the areas covered by the training, he said, are cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, fintech, product management and quantum computing.
“Today, we’re not merely unveiling an online learning portal. We’re opening a new pathway to opportunities for thousands of Nigerians.
“We’re connecting talents to world-class learning, learning to certification and certification to productive work, enterprise and national development.
“This initiative is an integral part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which is powered by the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative,” he said.
Alausa solicited the support of professional bodies, academia and international partners to ensure the success and sustainability of the programme.
He disclosed that the Federal Government had entered into partnerships with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) to provide study centres, internet connectivity and facilitators for participants.
According to him, the arrangement is intended to overcome some of the barriers confronting learners, particularly those without personal computers, reliable internet access or conducive learning environments.
The minister also said the academy would provide beneficiaries of the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme with a pathway to securing internationally recognised certifications.
He urged Nigerian youths to take full advantage of the opportunity to acquire relevant skills and improve their economic prospects.
In a goodwill message, the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote, said the commission was committed to providing quality and accessible data to support the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration.
Coker-Odusote described the DTA as an investment in human capital, knowledge and national capacity.
She stressed the importance of digital identity in enabling Nigerians to securely access opportunities in education, employment, financial services and other segments of the digital economy.
She said that DTA would provide job space that would build one-trillion-dollar economy.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund, Mohammed Dandutse, urged Nigerian youths to participate actively in the programme to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and technical skills.
Dandutse pledged the committee’s support for research and innovation initiatives capable of improving the livelihoods of Nigerian youths.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, on her part, said her ministry was committed to ensuring that Nigerians at home and abroad had access to economic opportunities.
Oduwole said the DTA complemented the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), which seeks to connect Nigerian talents with international employers and buyers.
She disclosed that NATEP and its partners had recently launched “Hire from Nigeria”, an initiative aimed at linking Nigerian professionals and service providers with international opportunities.
According to her, the programme is targeting one million export-linked, digitally enabled jobs by 2027.
Oduwole urged DTA beneficiaries to maximise the training opportunity by acquiring skills that would contribute to national development.
