Nigeria Opens Free Digital Skills Programme for 50,000 Young People in North-Central Region
A new Federal Government-backed programme is offering free digital and employability training to 50,000 young people across Nigeria’s North-Central region, with participants set to gain practical skills for jobs in the digital economy and business services sector.
The initiative, known as the iDICE Skills-to-Jobs Programme, is open to eligible applicants aged 15 to 35 in Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
The programme forms part of the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) initiative, which aims to train 300,000 young Nigerians across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Training will be delivered through a combination of virtual classes, self-paced learning and in-person sessions. Participants will be able to develop skills at three levels: foundational, developmental and specialised.
Available training areas include digital literacy, customer support, data entry, data analytics, search engine optimisation writing, user interface and user experience design, product management, coding, artificial intelligence engineering, cybersecurity, animation and digital marketing.
Beyond technical training, the programme will provide employability support, employer engagement, job matching and placement assistance. The goal is to help participants connect the skills they acquire with opportunities in the workplace.
The initiative is being implemented by Tech4Dev in partnership with TeleSoftas and Taltrix, with the Bank of Industry serving as the executing agency. It is co-financed by the African Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement and the Islamic Development Bank.
Bank of Industry Managing Director Olasupo Olusi said the programme was designed to expand access to industry-relevant skills while responding to growing demand for digital talent in Nigeria’s business process outsourcing and wider digital services sectors.
Tech4Dev’s Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa Country Manager, Abraham Akpan, also emphasised the importance of linking skills development with meaningful economic opportunities.
Women, persons with disabilities and young people from underserved communities are particularly encouraged to apply.
The organisers have stressed that both application and participation are free. Applicants are warned not to pay anyone for admission, training or employment opportunities under the programme.
Eligible young people can find application information through the iDICE Skills-to-Jobs programme announcement.
Source: The Guardian Nigeria
