The Rector, Yaba College of Technology, Dr. Engr Ibraheem Abdul (3rd right), the Bursar, Dr Olusola Dada, the Director Centre for Research Support and Grant Management, Dr. Funmilayo Doherty (3rd from left), Director, CODFEL, Engr. Adebayo Adebari, the Centre Manager, YCT Skills Development Centre and Senior Programmer, Mrs Bisola at the launch of Federal Government Digital Technology Academy (DTA) in Abuja on September 14, 2026.
By Peace Udugba
Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) has joined the Federal Government’s N10.5 billion Digital Training Academy (DTA), an initiative aimed at equipping more than 32,000 Nigerians with globally relevant digital skills.
The academy, officially launched in Abuja on Monday by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, is designed to bridge Nigeria’s digital skills gap, improve employability and prepare young Nigerians for opportunities in the global digital economy.
Under the partnership, YABATECH, in collaboration with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), will provide study centres, internet connectivity and facilitators to support beneficiaries of the programme.
The arrangement places YABATECH at the centre of a major Federal Government human-capital development initiative, while further strengthening the institution’s role in technical, vocational and technology-driven education.
Speaking at the launch, Alausa said the academy was created to connect Nigerian talents with world-class learning, international certifications, productive employment, entrepreneurship and national development.
He said the initiative formed part of the implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI).
According to the minister, beneficiaries will undergo six months of intensive digital training through leading global learning platforms, including Coursera and Pluralsight, with opportunities to obtain internationally recognised certifications from global technology companies.
The training will cover key areas of the digital economy, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, fintech, product management and quantum computing.
Alausa said the ultimate objective was to enable trained Nigerians to secure employment and provide professional services to companies and clients around the world without necessarily leaving the country.
“Today, we’re not merely unveiling an online learning portal. We’re opening a new pathway to opportunities for thousands of Nigerians.
“We’re connecting talents to world-class learning, learning to certification and certification to productive work, enterprise and national development,” he said.
The minister said the collaboration with YABATECH and NOUN would help address barriers faced by young Nigerians who lack personal computers, reliable internet access or suitable environments for online learning.
He said the provision of physical learning centres, internet connectivity and facilitators would make digital education more accessible to Nigerians who might otherwise be excluded from such opportunities.
The programme will also provide a pathway for beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme to obtain international certifications and improve their competitiveness in the global labour market.
YABATECH’s Strategic Role
YABATECH’s participation is significant given its longstanding reputation as a pioneer institution in technical and technological education.
With its experience in practical skills development, technical education and industry-oriented training, the institution is positioned to support the Federal Government’s objective of transforming young Nigerians from conventional job seekers into globally competitive professionals, innovators and entrepreneurs.
The partnership also aligns with YABATECH’s growing emphasis on technology, innovation, entrepreneurship and skills-based education.
For the College, participation in the DTA provides an opportunity to deploy its infrastructure and technical expertise in addressing Nigeria’s digital skills challenge while strengthening its position as a major hub for technical and digital human-capital development.
NIMC Backs Digital Identity
Also speaking at the launch, the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote, described the academy as an investment in people, knowledge and national capacity.
She said NIMC remained committed to providing quality and accessible data to support the Federal Government’s development agenda.
Coker-Odusote stressed the importance of digital identity in enabling Nigerians to securely access opportunities in education, employment, financial services and other areas of the digital economy.
She said the DTA would contribute to creating digital employment opportunities capable of supporting the development of a one-trillion-dollar economy.
Senate Committee Urges Youths to Seize Opportunity
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund, Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, urged Nigerian youths to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the academy.
Dandutse said the initiative would help bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical technical proficiency, stressing that young Nigerians must acquire skills that would enable them to remain competitive in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
He also pledged the committee’s support for research and innovation aimed at improving the livelihoods of Nigerian youths.
Similarly, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said her ministry was committed to ensuring that Nigerians at home and abroad could take advantage of emerging global opportunities.
She said the DTA complemented the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), which seeks to connect Nigerian professionals and service providers with international employers and buyers.
According to Oduwole, NATEP and its partners recently launched the “Hire from Nigeria” initiative to connect Nigerian professionals with international opportunities, with an ambition to facilitate one million export-linked, digitally enabled jobs by 2027.
She urged DTA beneficiaries to maximise the training opportunity and acquire skills that would enable them to contribute meaningfully to national development.
The Federal Government’s investment in the Digital Training Academy underscores the growing importance of human capital in Nigeria’s ambition to compete in the global digital economy.
The initiative also signals a stronger focus on developing a workforce equipped with relevant, adaptable and internationally recognised skills capable of meeting the demands of the changing global labour market.
