WorldStage– The Federal Ministry of Education, on September 14, 2026, launched the Digital Training Academy (DTA) to bring together government, industry and global learning partners to open, for the first time, a direct and fully funded pathway from digital skills to global opportunity for every Nigerian in every state.
The grand launching ceremony which took place at the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) headquarters in Abuja drew key government officials, educational policymakers, and technology sector stakeholders.
Delivering the keynote address, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, stated that the academy represents a foundational pillar of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He emphasized that human capital development through high-demand technological education is vital for building a competitive, future-ready workforce.
“Our objective is not merely to train young Nigerians; it is to certify them to a standard that opens doors anywhere in the world,” the Minister declared, reinforcing the event’s theme.
According to the National Coordinator of the ministry’s Special Projects and Innovation Unit, Adebayo Onibanjo, the initiative received an overwhelming public response.
According to him, a total of 72,850 applications were submitted from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory during the registration period.
He disclosed that while 19,699 candidates successfully cleared the pre-assessment benchmarks, 16,000 learners were selected to compose the academy’s inaugural cohort.
Implemented under the Nigeria Education Digital Infrastructure (NEDI) framework, the DTA offers a specialized curriculum covering cutting-edge domains.
Students in the first phase will specialize in competitive fields like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, FinTech, Software Development, and Data Science.
To maintain international standards, the Federal Ministry of Education has paired up with world-class digital learning giants, Coursera and Pluralsight, to deliver courses and professional certifications.
Crucially, the academy removes financial barriers by being entirely free for participants to support inclusive education, physical training facilities equipped with robust internet connectivity and learning devices have been deployed across the country.
This ensures that selected candidates who lack private computers or stable networks can still participate fully.
Speaking at the launch, UBEC officials praised the synergy between basic education structures and macro digital transformation.
The commission noted that hosting the launch reflects its commitment to modernizing classrooms and administrative workflows across the country.
Onigbanjo reminded the public that this initial class of 16,000 learners marks the beginning, not the conclusion, of the program’s national scale.
The Ministry envisions expanding future cohorts as structures solidify, targeting broader demographics.
The launch represents a decisive leap forward in equipping Nigeria’s youth with 21st-century skills to drive the nation’s burgeoning digital economy.
The ambitious program received overwhelming public interest, drawing 72,850 applications from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) during its registration window.
Following rigorous qualifying assessments, 16,000 learners were selected for the pioneer cohort. This phase lays the bedrock for a national target of training 32,000 citizens in high-demand technical capabilities.
Declaring the academy a core element of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Minister Alausa added that the initiative is nested under the Data and Digitalisation pillar of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI).
“This academy is the next phase of our commitment to building a highly skilled workforce capable of competing in the global digital economy,” Dr. Alausa stated via a speech delivered at the venue.
By offering zero-barrier access to tech literacy, the government seeks to eradicate financial obstacles preventing youth from accessing premium, industry-relevant curriculum.
The DTA represents a massive collaborative triumph, having the Federal Ministry of Education coordinated with the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), and Yaba College of Technology to build local operational infrastructure.
Meanwhile, global training powerhouses Coursera and Pluralsight will deliver fully sponsored, industry-recognized certifications directly to the learners.
Speaking further on the programme, Onibanjo emphasized that the rollout marks the inception of a continuous national project. “This cohort of 16,000 is DTA’s first, not its last,” he assured the audience. “It establishes the core foundation, systems, and delivery partnerships on which subsequent cohorts will expand.”
The choice of the UBEC headquarters for the launch underscores a broader, tech-driven transformation sweeping Nigeria’s public education infrastructure.
Dr. Aisha Garba, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, noted that the commission is actively aligning its structures to support the Ministry’s digital goals.
UBEC has already established dedicated digital learning centres, rolled out interactive smart boards, and launched its own network of “Digital Champions” to transition administrative workflows into modern, paperless systems.
As classes officially commence for the digital vanguard, the Federal Government urges the private sector and media to back this national skilling initiative.
With its doors now firmly open, the Digital Training Academy is set to bridge the digital divide, transforming thousands of ambitious young Nigerians from passive consumers of technology into global innovators.
The event concluded with a formal portal orientation for the newly admitted fellows. The students have been directed to immediately accept their licensed learning offers online to begin their training tracks.
