FG enrols 16,000 Nigerians in new digital training academy

The Federal Government has enrolled 16,000 Nigerians into the inaugural cohort of its new Digital Training Academy (DTA), a free initiative aimed at equipping young Nigerians with globally recognised digital skills.

National Coordinator, Special Projects and Innovation Unit (SPOIU), Federal Ministry of Education, Adebayo Onibanjo, disclosed this on Wednesday at a media briefing in Abuja ahead of the national launch of the academy scheduled for September 14, 2026.

Onibanjo said the academy received 72,850 applications from Nigerians across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory during its registration window, which opened on August 17 and closed on September 1.

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He explained that 19,699 applicants met the qualifying benchmark, from which 16,000 learners were selected for the inaugural cohort.

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

According to the ministry, the academy is part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to develop a highly skilled workforce capable of competing effectively in the global digital economy.

Training for the first cohort will be delivered through two international learning platforms, Coursera and Pluralsight, providing participants with access to digital learning opportunities and globally recognised skills development programmes.

Onibanjo said the initiative was designed to complement, rather than duplicate, existing government investments in digital skills development.

He said the academy aligns with the human capital development objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda and forms part of the Data and Digitalisation pillar of NESRI.

The coordinator quoted the Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, as describing the initiative as the next phase of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to developing a highly skilled workforce capable of competing in the global digital economy.

He stressed that the 16,000-member inaugural 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 Federal Ministry of Education is expected to unveil further details on the academy’s expansion plans and subsequent cohorts during the national launch on September 14.

The ministry expressed appreciation to the thousands of Nigerians who applied for the programme and acknowledged the contributions of its partner institutions and organisations, including the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Yaba College of Technology, the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Coursera and Pluralsight.

It also urged the media to continue to support and report on the programme as the Federal Government seeks to widen access to world-class digital skills and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to participate in the global digital economy.