Alausa Unveils Digital Academy to Drive Nigeria’s Skills Revolution

The Federal Government has unveiled the National Digital Training Academy as part of efforts to equip Nigerian youths with advanced technology skills and internationally recognised certifications needed to compete in the global digital economy.

Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, announced the initiative in Jigawa State while speaking at the graduation of 928 beneficiaries of a one-year professional diploma programme implemented under the World Bank-assisted Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) Project in collaboration with Baze University.

The new academy, to be implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy through the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, will offer advanced training in software development, cloud technologies, cybersecurity, IT automation, product management, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Other areas include connected technologies, natural language processing, financial technology, parallel computing and quantum computing.

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

He described the graduation of the 928 Jigawa youths as evidence of the impact of sustained investment in digital skills and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), particularly in preparing young Nigerians for innovation, entrepreneurship and employment.

According to him, the Federal Government is repositioning education as a strategic driver of national development by expanding access to industry-relevant skills and strengthening partnerships between government, educational institutions, development partners and the private sector.

The Minister said the Digital Training Academy would complement ongoing reforms in the TVET sector, where skills acquisition has become a central component of the government’s education policy.

He said the Federal Ministry of Education was expanding access to quality TVET programmes, modernising training institutions and strengthening industry partnerships to create multiple pathways for young Nigerians to acquire market-driven skills.

Alausa also pointed to the ministry’s investment in education data infrastructure, particularly the National Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI) and the Digitalised Nigeria Education Management Information System (DNEMIS).

He said the platforms were improving education governance by providing real-time information on learner enrolment, teacher distribution, school infrastructure, learner identification and school safety.

The minister noted that reliable education data would enable governments to improve planning, allocate resources more efficiently and develop policies capable of producing better learning outcomes nationwide.

He commended Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, for prioritising education, digital innovation and youth empowerment, saying the graduation demonstrated the benefits of collaboration between federal and state governments, development partners, academic institutions and the private sector.

Namadi, who described the graduation as another milestone in Jigawa’s human capital development drive, said the programme had equipped the beneficiaries with practical competencies in artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, cybersecurity, software engineering, data analytics and other emerging fields.

The governor said the skills acquired would position the graduates for self-employment, entrepreneurship and careers within the expanding global technology ecosystem.

He commended the Federal Ministry of Education, the World Bank-assisted IDEAS Project and Baze University for supporting the initiative, while reaffirming his administration’s commitment to expanding ICT infrastructure and youth empowerment through partnerships with organisations including the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), GLUWA and KOICA.

As part of measures to reward outstanding performance, Namadi announced that 30 of the graduands would receive laptop computers from the state government, while four exceptional participants had secured employment with Baze University.

The governor also unveiled the Jigawa State 12-Point Agenda Digital Portal, designed to give citizens real-time access to information on government programmes across the state’s 27 local government areas and 287 political wards.

He said the platform would promote transparency and accountability while strengthening technology-driven governance in the state.

Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, said the graduation reflected the Federal Government’s determination to raise a generation of digitally skilled, innovative and globally competitive Nigerians.

She commended the Jigawa State Government and development partners for supporting the programme and urged the graduates to continue learning, embrace innovation and deploy their skills to solve practical problems, establish businesses and contribute to economic development.

Alausa, while congratulating the graduates, urged them to regard the training as the beginning of a continuous learning journey, stressing that the rapidly changing technology landscape required constant acquisition of new knowledge and skills.

He assured that the Federal Ministry of Education would continue to expand access to quality TVET, accelerate digital skills development through the National Digital Training Academy and deepen partnerships with states, development partners and the private sector.

The initiative, he said, was aimed at ensuring that Nigerian learners acquire the competencies required to thrive in the 21st-century economy and helping position the country as a major African hub for innovation and skilled digital talent.