The Federal Government says it has selected 16,000 out of 72,850 Nigerians who applied for its Digital Training Academy, DTA, an initiative aimed at equipping young Nigerians with globally recognised digital skills.
National Coordinator, Special Projects and Innovation Unit, SPOIU, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Adebayo Onibanjo, disclosed this on Wednesday at a media briefing ahead of the national launch of the academy scheduled for September 14, 2026.
Onibanjo said the applications were received from Nigerians across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory during the registration window, which opened on August 17 and closed on September 1.
He said 19,699 applicants met the qualifying benchmark, from which 16,000 learners were selected for the first cohort.
The DTA is being implemented under the Nigeria Education Digital Infrastructure, NEDI, programme, a flagship intervention of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, NESRI.
According to the ministry, the initiative is designed to complement existing government investments in digital skills development and avoid duplication, while expanding access to high-quality digital training.
Training for the first cohort will be delivered through two international learning platforms, Coursera and Pluralsight, providing participants with access to industry-relevant courses and globally recognised learning opportunities.
The ministry said the initiative aligns with the human capital development objectives of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and forms part of the Data and Digitalisation pillar of NESRI.
Onibanjo quoted the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, as describing the academy as “the next phase of President Tinubu’s commitment to building a highly skilled workforce capable of competing in the global digital economy.”
He said the inaugural cohort of 16,000 learners represented only the beginning of the academy’s national ambition.
“This cohort of 16,000 is DTA’s first, not its last. It represents a significant step toward the Academy’s national ambition, and it establishes the foundation, the systems, and the delivery partnerships on which subsequent cohorts will be built,” Onibanjo said.
The ministry is expected to unveil further details on the academy’s expansion plans and future cohorts during the national launch on September 14.
It also expressed appreciation to the thousands of Nigerians who applied, as well as partner institutions and organisations, including the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Yaba College of Technology, the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, Coursera and Pluralsight.
The ministry urged the media to continue supporting and reporting the programme as the Federal Government seeks to broaden access to world-class digital skills and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to compete in the global digital economy.
