The Federal Government has committed more than ₦10.5 billion to the Digital Training Academy, a programme designed to equip 32,000 Nigerians with globally competitive digital and professional skills.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Monday, September 14, 2026, during the official launch of the academy in Abuja.
According to Alausa, the initiative seeks to bridge Nigeria’s digital skills gap, improve employability and prepare Nigerians to compete for opportunities in the global digital economy.
Implemented under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, the Digital Training Academy will provide beneficiaries with free training through global learning platforms including Coursera and Pluralsight.
Training will cover high-demand fields such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, cybersecurity, cloud computing, software development, IT automation, fintech, product management, natural language processing and quantum computing.
The minister said the programme would go beyond training and certificates by linking learning and certification to employment, entrepreneurship and increased productivity.
“Our objective here is very clear: to bridge Nigeria’s skills gap, improve employability and enable more of our citizens to take part in the digital economy,” Alausa said.
The government has also established access centres across the country to support beneficiaries who lack personal computers or reliable internet access.
Alausa said the academy would complement existing government skills initiatives, particularly the 3 Million Technical Talent programme and the National Talent Export Programme.
He explained that Nigerians who had completed the 3MTT programme would have opportunities to obtain globally recognised certifications through the Digital Training Academy, while NATEP could help connect skilled Nigerians to international labour opportunities.
“This is how government programmes should work: together, not in silos,” the minister said.
The academy’s portal states that 32,000 learners will be enrolled and awarded 32,000 certificates across more than 10 skill areas, with training available across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Participants can create accounts using their National Identification Numbers, complete their profiles, undergo pre-assessments and begin training based on their results.
The Federal Government had earlier selected 16,000 Nigerians for the academy’s inaugural cohort from 72,850 applications received between August 17 and September 1, 2026.
