The federal government says it has committed over N10.5 billion to the Digital Training Academy (DTA) to help more than 32,000 young Nigerians build digital skills for a globally competitive economy.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said this at the official launch of the academy on Monday in Abuja.

Mr Alausa said the academy’s purpose was to bridge Nigeria’s digital skills gap, improve employability, and enable Nigerians to compete globally with their counterparts in other climes.

He said the initiative was a practical expression of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI).

He said the academy would connect Nigerian talents to world-class learning, certification, productive work and entrepreneurship opportunities.

He said the beneficiaries would receive six months of training through platforms such as Coursera and Pluralsight, alongside certifications from global technology companies.

The minister said the programme would enable Nigerians to work remotely for companies and clients worldwide without leaving the country.

Mr Alausa said the programme would focus on areas including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, fintech, product management and quantum computing.

The minister solicited support from professional bodies, academia, and international partners to ensure the programme succeeds.

“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.

Mr Alausa said the federal government had partnered with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) to provide study centres, internet access and facilitators for beneficiaries.

He said the arrangement was designed to address challenges faced by learners who might not have computers, internet access or suitable environments for online learning.

He added that the academy would also provide a pathway for beneficiaries of the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme to obtain international certifications.

Mr Alausa called on the youths to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the federal government to better their lives.

In a goodwill message, the Director-General, National Identity Management Commission, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, said the agency was poised to provide quality and accessible data that would support the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu.

Ms Coker-Odusote described the academy as an investment in people, knowledge and national capacity.

She said digital identity was critical to ensuring that Nigerians could securely access opportunities in education, employment, financial services and other areas of the digital economy.

She said DTA would provide job space to build a $1 trillion economy.

Also, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund, Mohammed Dandutse, called on Nigerian youths to participate in digital training to bridge the gap between theory and technical skills and enhance proficiency.

He promised the Senate committee’s willingness to support research and innovation that would enhance the livelihood of Nigerian youths.

For her part, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, expressed her ministry’s commitment to ensuring opportunities for Nigerians both at home and abroad.

Ms Oduwole said the initiative complemented the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), which was designed to connect Nigerian talent with international employers and buyers.

She said NATEP and its partners recently launched “Hire from Nigeria” to connect Nigerian professionals and service providers with international opportunities.

She said the programme aimed to facilitate one million export-linked, digitally enabled jobs by 2027.

Ms Oduwole called on beneficiaries to take advantage of DTA to enhance their skills for national development.

 (NAN)