Education:
FG Commits ₦10.5bn To Digital Training Academy For 32,000 Nigerians
Education Minister Tunji Alausa said the programme was designed to bridge Nigeria’s digital skills gap, improve employability and prepare Nigerians to compete for opportunities in the global digital economy.
Minister of education Tunji Alausa, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Jumoke Oduwole and leaders at the official launch of the Digital Training Academy in Abuja on Monday, September 14 2026.
The Federal Government has committed more than N10.5 billion to its Digital Training Academy (DTA), an initiative aimed at equipping 32,000 Nigerians with globally competitive digital and professional skills.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the official launch of the academy.
Alausa said the programme was designed to bridge Nigeria’s digital skills gap, improve employability and prepare Nigerians to compete for opportunities in the global digital economy.
The initiative, implemented under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), will provide beneficiaries with free access to training through global learning platforms, including Coursera and Pluralsight.
The training will cover high-demand areas such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, cybersecurity, cloud computing, software development, IT automation, fintech, product management, natural language processing and quantum computing
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According to the minister, the programme is aimed at moving beyond training and certificates by connecting learning and certification to employment, entrepreneurship and 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.
He said the government had also established access centres across the country to support beneficiaries who may not have personal computers or reliable internet access.
The minister said the academy would complement other government skills-development initiatives, particularly the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme and the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP).
He explained that Nigerians who had completed the 3MTT programme would have an opportunity to obtain globally recognised certifications through the Digital Training Academy, while NATEP could help connect skilled Nigerians with opportunities in the international labour market.
“This is how government programmes should work: together, not in silos,” Alausa said.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Jumoke Oduwole and Minister of education Tunji Alausa at the official launch of the Digital Training Academy in Abuja on Monday, September 14 2026.
He urged beneficiaries to take the opportunity seriously, stressing that the government’s investment should ultimately translate into jobs, businesses, increased productivity and other economic opportunities.
“Today, we’re not merely unveiling an online learning portal. We’re opening a new pathway to opportunities for thousands of Nigerians,” the minister said.
The Digital Training Academy portal says the programme will enrol 32,000 learners and award 32,000 certificates across more than 10 skill areas, with training access available across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Minister of education Tunji Alausa speaking at the official launch of the Digital Training Academy in Abuja on Monday, September 14 2026.
The academy also provides a pathway for participants to create an account using their National Identification Number (NIN), complete their profiles, undergo a pre-assessment 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.
