FG opens digital academy, selects 16,000 Nigerians for first cohort

The Federal Government has launched a Digital Training Academy with 16,000 Nigerians selected for its inaugural cohort, as part of efforts to equip young people with globally recognised digital skills and prepare them for opportunities in the digital economy.

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

Onibanjo said the programme attracted 72,850 applications from Nigerians across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory during the registration period, which ran from August 17 to September 1, 2026.

He explained that 19,699 applicants met the qualifying benchmark, while 16,000 candidates were eventually selected for the first cohort.

The Digital Training Academy is a free Federal Government-backed initiative designed to provide young Nigerians with access to digital training and globally recognised certifications through international learning platforms.

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

The initiative forms part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to address skills gaps in the education sector and develop a workforce capable of participating competitively in the global digital economy.

For the inaugural cohort, training will be delivered through Coursera and Pluralsight, two international online learning platforms.

Onibanjo said the initiative would complement existing government investments in digital skills development rather than duplicate them.

He added that the academy aligned with the human capital development objectives of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly the Data and Digitalisation pillar of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative.

Quoting the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, Onibanjo described the academy as a major step in the Federal Government’s plan to develop a highly skilled workforce.

Alausa said the initiative represented “the next phase of President Tinubu’s commitment to building a highly skilled workforce capable of competing in the global digital economy.”

The coordinator stressed that the 16,000 participants selected for the inaugural cohort represented only the beginning of the academy’s planned expansion.

“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 government has increasingly prioritised digital skills and technology-driven learning as part of efforts to improve the employability of young Nigerians and ensure that the country’s education system keeps pace with changes in the global labour market.

The expansion of digital learning is also coming at a time when employers are placing greater emphasis on technology-related competencies, while young Nigerians increasingly seek opportunities in areas such as software development, data analysis, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital marketing and other emerging fields.

The Federal Ministry of Education said further details on the academy’s expansion plans and future cohorts would be provided during the national launch on September 14.

The ministry also acknowledged the contributions of its partner institutions and organisations, including the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Yaba College of Technology, National Open University of Nigeria, Coursera and Pluralsight.

It expressed appreciation to the thousands of Nigerians who applied for the programme and urged the media to continue to create awareness about opportunities aimed at expanding access to digital education.

The government said the academy would provide a platform for more Nigerians to acquire relevant digital competencies as it continues to pursue reforms aimed at strengthening human capital development and positioning the country’s young population for opportunities in the global economy.