FG Picks 16,000 Nigerians for New Digital Skills Programme

The Federal Government has selected 16,000 Nigerians for the first cohort of its newly launched Digital Training Academy, a six-month programme aimed at equipping citizens with digital skills for global employment and entrepreneurship.

The Federal Ministry of Education disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, September 14, 2026, following the launch of the academy in Abuja.

The programme is designed to train 32,000 Nigerians with globally relevant digital skills, professional certifications and opportunities to participate in the growing digital economy.

Speaking at the launch, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the programme received 72,850 applications from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with 19,699 applicants meeting the entry requirements.

According to him, 16,000 applicants were selected for the inaugural cohort.

The training will cover high-demand areas, including software development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cloud computing, IT automation, natural language processing and quantum computing.

Participants will also have access to international learning platforms such as Coursera and Pluralsight and opportunities to obtain recognised certifications from organisations including Google, IBM and Huawei.

The Federal Government will provide computers, internet connectivity, access centres, facilitators and mentors through partnerships with the National Open University of Nigeria and Yaba College of Technology.

The initiative is being implemented under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative through the Nigeria Education Digital Infrastructure programme.

The ministry said it would monitor participants’ certification, employment and enterprise outcomes to ensure a clear pathway from digital training to productive opportunities.

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