The Federal Government has committed more than N10.5 billion to the Digital Training Academy (DTA), a programme designed to equip 32,000 Nigerians with globally competitive digital and professional skills.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during the official launch of the academy.
Alausa said the initiative was designed to bridge Nigeria’s digital skills gap, improve employability and position more Nigerians to take advantage of opportunities in the global digital economy.
Implemented under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), the programme will provide beneficiaries with free access to training through global learning platforms, including Coursera and Pluralsight.
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.
According to the minister, the initiative would go beyond providing training and certificates by linking 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 established access centres across the country to support beneficiaries who lacked personal computers or reliable internet access.
The minister added that the academy would complement other government skills-development programmes, particularly the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative and the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP).
He explained that Nigerians who had completed the 3MTT programme would be able to pursue globally recognised certifications through the Digital Training Academy, while NATEP would help connect skilled Nigerians with opportunities in the international labour market.
“This is how government programmes should work: together, not in silos,” Alausa said.
Alausa urged beneficiaries to take advantage of the programme, 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 states that 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.
Participants can create accounts 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.
