Alausa Launches Digital Academy to Train 32,000 Nigerian Students in High-Demand Skills
Oluwatobi Adu 
ABUJA, Nigeria -The Federal Government has launched a Digital Training Academy designed to equip 32,000 Nigerian students with digital skills and internationally recognised professional certifications to improve their employability in the global economy.
The Digital Training Academy (DTA) was launched on Monday in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, in the presence of government officials, tertiary institution leaders, technology partners, students and other stakeholders.
The programme is being implemented in partnership with global learning and certification providers, including Coursera and ProSite, alongside academic and delivery partners.
Alausa said the academy would provide training in high-demand fields including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cloud computing, fintech, product management and quantum computing.
“We are not training Nigerians to go abroad and work there. We are training you to work right here,” Alausa said.
The National Coordinator of the Special Programmes Operations and Implementation Unit, Bayo Onigbanjo, said 72,850 students had registered and taken the academy’s assessment.
Of that number, 19,719 passed the required threshold.
Cybersecurity attracted the highest number of applicants, with about 9,525 students, followed by artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Applicants used their National Identification Numbers, telephone numbers and email addresses before taking a pre-assessment.
According to Onigbanjo, the programme also provides physical study centres, internet connectivity, facilitators and mentors through partnerships with institutions including Yaba College of Technology and the National Open University of Nigeria.
The Minister of State for Education, Dr Suwaiba Said Ahmad, said employers increasingly wanted graduates who possessed practical digital skills and professional certifications alongside traditional degrees and diplomas.
“While employers continue to value degrees and diplomas, they increasingly seek graduates who also possess practical, industry relevant digital skills and professional certifications,” she said.
About the Author
Mirian Gom 
Korede Abdullah 