Federal Government Enrols 16,000 Youths for Digital Skills Programme

The Nigerian Government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, has enrolled 16,000 Nigerians into the first cohort of the Digital Training Academy (DTA), a free initiative designed to equip young Nigerians with globally recognised digital skills.

The National Coordinator, Special Projects and Innovation Unit (SPOIU) of the ministry, Adebayo Onibanjo, disclosed this on Wednesday at a media briefing ahead of the national launch of the academy scheduled for Sept. 14, 2026.

Onibanjo said the DTA received 72,850 applications from Nigerians across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory during its registration window, which opened on Aug. 17 and closed on Sept. 1, 2026.

According to the ministry, 19,699 applicants met the qualifying benchmark, while 16,000 learners were selected for the academy’s inaugural cohort.

The DTA is being implemented under the Nigeria Education Digital Infrastructure (NEDI) programme, a flagship intervention under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI).

The ministry said the initiative was part of the Nigerian Government’s efforts to develop a highly skilled workforce capable of competing in the global digital economy.

Training for the first cohort will be delivered through two international learning platforms, Coursera and Pluralsight.

According to the ministry, 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.

Onibanjo quoted the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, as describing the academy as “the next phase of President Tinubu’s commitment to building a highly skilled workforce capable of competing in the global digital economy.”

The coordinator said the inaugural 16,000-member cohort represented only the beginning of the academy’s national ambition.

“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,” Onibanjo said.

The ministry is expected to provide further details on the academy’s expansion plans and future cohorts at the national launch on Sept. 14.

The Federal Ministry of Education expressed appreciation to the thousands of Nigerians who applied, as well as its partner institutions and organisations, including the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Yaba College of Technology, NOUN, Coursera and Pluralsight.

The ministry urged the media to continue to support and report the programme as the Nigerian Government seeks to expand access to world-class digital skills for young Nigerians across the country.