ABUJA — The Federal Government has selected 16,000 Nigerians for the first batch of its newly established Digital Training Academy, in a move aimed at expanding access to digital skills and improving young Nigerians’ prospects in the global job market.
The development was announced by the National Coordinator, Special Projects and Innovation Unit of the Federal Ministry of Education, Adebayo Onibanjo, on Wednesday during a media briefing ahead of the academy’s official launch on September 14, 2026.
According to Onibanjo, the programme recorded strong interest from across the country, receiving 72,850 applications during the registration window between August 17 and September 1. Of the applicants, 19,699 met the required benchmark before 16,000 were chosen for the maiden cohort.
Participants will receive free training and have access to internationally recognised certifications through online learning providers Coursera and Pluralsight. The initiative is being delivered under the Nigeria Education Digital Infrastructure programme, a major component of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative.
Onibanjo said the academy was created to strengthen existing government efforts in digital education while helping to close skills gaps within the country’s workforce. He noted that the first intake was only the beginning, with plans to build on the systems and partnerships established through the inaugural cohort.
He said the programme supports the human capital objectives of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on data and digitalisation.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described the academy as an important development in the government’s drive to produce a workforce equipped for the demands of the modern economy.
The Federal Ministry of Education said the September 14 launch would provide more information on the academy’s expansion and subsequent cohorts.
Other institutions involved in the initiative include the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Yaba College of Technology, the National Open University of Nigeria, Coursera and Pluralsight.
