Grace Ashiru
Nigeria’s communication, innovation, and digital economy minister, Bosun Tijani, has launched an ambitious project to train 3 million technical professionals within the next four years. This initiative, unveiled on Wednesday, aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s objective to create a million tech jobs within his first two years in office. This project is crucial in a country where unemployment rates are expected to rise from 33% in 2020 to over 40% this year.
Tijani, referencing LinkedIn data, stated that Nigeria could fulfill nearly a quarter of the global demand for technology talents. With about 60% of its population being young, the country has the potential to become a significant exporter of tech talent worldwide.
The training program, known as 3MTT, will adopt a 1-10-100 strategy. Initially, it will test a prototype with 1% of the target number, 30,000 individuals, over three months. The overwhelming response saw nearly 2 million applications for the first cohort in just under a month.
The program’s second phase, starting in February 2023, will also train 30,000 individuals. The insights gained from these initial groups will be instrumental in scaling up to the full 3 million target.
In its first phase, the program will cover twelve critical technical areas, including software development, UI/UX design, data analysis & visualization, quality assurance, product management, data science, animation, AI/machine learning, cybersecurity, game development, cloud computing, and Dev Ops.
Fola Olatunji-David, part of the 3MTT team, emphasized the hybrid nature of the training, combining online content with practical, community-based learning clusters. The goal is not just to impart knowledge but also to ensure its practical application. Additionally, the program will facilitate job placements for its participants, ensuring that learning translates into employment opportunities.
