By Ngozi Nwankwo
Federal Ministry of Education has enrolled 16,000 Nigerians into the first cohort of the Digital Training Academy, DTA, a free Federal Government initiative designed to equip young Nigerians with globally recognised digital skills.
The National Coordinator, Special Projects and Innovation Unit, SPOIU, Adebayo Onibanjo, disclosed this on Wednesday at a media briefing ahead of the academy’s national launch scheduled for September 14, 2026.
Onibanjo said the DTA received 72,850 applications from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory during the registration window from August 17 to September 1, 2026.
According to the ministry, 19,699 applicants met the qualifying benchmark, while 16,000 were selected for the inaugural cohort.
The DTA is being implemented under the Nigeria Education Digital Infrastructure, NEDI, programme, a flagship intervention under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, NESRI.
The ministry said the initiative aligns with the human capital development objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda and forms part of the Data and Digitalisation pillar of NESRI.
Training for the first cohort will be delivered through two international learning platforms, Coursera and Pluralsight.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described 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.”
Onibanjo said the 16,000 learners represent 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,” he said.
The ministry said further details on expansion plans and future cohorts will be provided at the national launch.
The Federal Ministry of Education acknowledged partner institutions including the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Yaba College of Technology, National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, Coursera and Pluralsight.
It urged the media to continue supporting the programme as government expands access to world-class digital skills for young Nigerians.
