By Omoyeni Ojeifo
Over 16,000 young Nigerians have been selected for free digital skills training under a Federal Government initiative designed to boost youth participation in the global digital economy.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Adebayo Onibanjo, National Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Education’s Special Projects and Innovation Unit (SPOIU), disclosed that the program drew 72,850 applications across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
PerSecondNews correspondent at the briefing reports that the training will officially commence at the launch of the Digital Training Academy (DTA) on September 14, 2026.
According to the ministry, the application window ran from August 17 to September 1, 2026, with 19,699 applicants meeting the academy’s qualifying benchmark
From the pool of successful applicants, 16,000 Nigerians were admitted into the inaugural cohort of the Digital Training Academy.
The programme is being implemented through the Nigeria Education Digital Infrastructure, NEDI, programme under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, NESRI.
It is designed to strengthen digital skills development and prepare more Nigerians to take advantage of employment and economic opportunities in the digital economy.
Training for the first cohort will be delivered through two international learning platforms, Coursera and Pluralsight.
The initiative aligns with the human capital development objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda and forms part of the Data and Digitalisation pillar of NESRI.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described the academy as a new phase in President Tinubu’s efforts to equip Nigerians with the skills needed to compete in the global digital economy, Onibanjo disclosed.
The coordinator further described the 16,000-member inaugural cohort as the foundation for the academy’s planned expansion across the country.
“This cohort of 16,000 is DTA’s first, not its last. It represents a significant step toward the Academy’s national ambition, and it establishes the foundation, the systems, and the delivery partnerships on which subsequent cohorts will be built,” he said.
The ministry is expected to provide further details on the academy’s expansion plans and future cohorts at the national launch on September 14.
It also acknowledged the support of partner institutions and organisations, including the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Yaba College of Technology, NOUN, Coursera and Pluralsight.
The ministry called on the media to support continued reporting on the programme as the Federal Government seeks to expand access to digital skills for young Nigerians across the country.
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