By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Nigeria’s Minister of
Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has launched the Digital Training Academy
(DTA), a new government initiative that will provide 32,000 Nigerians with
access to globally recognised digital skills training.
Through the academy,
beneficiaries will receive government-paid access to training programmes from
Coursera and Pluralsight, covering high-demand fields including artificial
intelligence and machine learning, cybersecurity, cloud computing, software
development and IT automation.
The initiative is being
implemented under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and through
the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), with the government
seeking to strengthen the connection between education, skills development,
certification and employment.
Dr Alausa said the
initiative is designed to provide Nigerians with the skills and qualifications
needed to compete in the digital economy while creating pathways from training
to real jobs and enterprise opportunities.
The Digital Training Academy
will also complement existing government skills development programmes.
Learners trained through the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme will
have an additional pathway to globally recognised certifications, while the
National Talent Export Programme (NATEP) can connect skilled Nigerians with
opportunities in the global marketplace.
The minister said the
approach reflects the government’s effort to ensure that its technology and
skills development programmes work together rather than operate in isolation.
He urged beneficiaries to
take advantage of the opportunity, stressing that the government is investing
in their potential and expects them to translate the training into meaningful
professional and economic opportunities.
