The Federal Government of Nigeria is set to provide six months of free training to youths in a bid to fill two million job vacancies in the Information Technology sector. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a budget of N120 billion aimed at revitalizing technical education across the country.
During the third Ministerial Press Briefing, held in Abuja and organized by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa outlined the details of this initiative.
Alausa stated, "We have secured almost N120 billion, and the President has approved it to advance our agenda. This program is expected to launch in May."
According to UNESCO data, Nigeria currently faces a significant skills gap, with approximately 650,000 vacancies in software development methodologies, 280,000 in cybersecurity, 160,000 in IT automation, 150,000 in artificial intelligence and machine learning, 120,000 in cloud computing, and 60,000 in natural language processing. Collectively, these figures account for nearly two million job vacancies.
The Digital Training Academy (DTA) will collaborate with trainers to provide the training, covering costs for internet services and certifications, including Cisco, End of Career, and Google certifications. Alausa emphasized that this strategy aims to equip Nigerians with essential digital skills to thrive in a competitive global market.
Additionally, the Minister highlighted the government's commitment to returning 10 million out-of-school children to classrooms and improving the education system through infrastructure development. Plans include the reconstruction of 195,000 classrooms, installation of 28,000 toilets, and provision of 22,900 boreholes across schools by 2027.
Alausa also addressed the proliferation of universities, noting that nearly 200 bills for new universities are pending in the National Assembly. He stressed the importance of enhancing the capacity of existing institutions rather than establishing new ones, stating, "We must focus on our capacities. We need to stop this from happening."
The briefing also featured Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who announced potential reductions in airfares and measures to combat illegal charter operations that have cost the government billions over the past 40 years. Keyamo highlighted ongoing reforms to improve the aviation sector, including the introduction of the Fly Nigeria Act, which will prioritize Nigerian flag carriers for government-funded travel.
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