President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said on Thursday in Abuja that his administration is laying a solid foundation for a youthful digital workforce that will drive Nigeria’s next phase of growth and shared prosperity. He made this known at the State House Conference Centre while chairing the 3 million Technical Talent National Impact Summit and launching the 3MTT Digital Skills Fund. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, represented him.
President Tinubu said the push to build a trillion–dollar economy is based on the understanding that the future will be powered by technical skills, productivity, innovation and a youthful workforce with globally competitive abilities. The 3MTT programme, launched in 2023 by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, aims to train three million young Nigerians in essential digital skills, create two million tech jobs and even export surplus talent to international markets.
He said the country’s ambition requires deliberate steps and not chance, adding that digital skills now drive growth across all major sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, education and public service. According to him, “Our ambition to build a trillion-dollar economy will not be achieved by chance. It requires productivity, innovation and a workforce whose skills meet global standards. Digital skills now underpin growth across every major sector of our economy, including agriculture, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, education and public service.”
The President said digital skills are not only key to economic stability and growth but also a major source of job creation for the country’s young population. He stated that “A strong digital workforce creates jobs, expands enterprise and positions Nigeria to participate competitively in the global marketplace. More importantly, it shapes our role in the world.” He added that the programme is helping to shift Nigeria from being just a consumer of technology to becoming a creator and exporter of talent.
He noted that 3MTT has already recorded national reach, saying, “From over 1.8 million applications drawn from every local government in the country, to new jobs created, startups formed and solutions developed, 3MTT has moved from concept to nationwide impact across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.” Tinubu urged the 30,000 youths who have completed the training to stay committed and see themselves as the digital foundation of Nigeria’s next development phase.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said Nigeria’s digital economy remains one of the most attractive on the African continent for investment. He commended President Tinubu for his vision and also thanked private sector players and development partners for supporting the initiative. Tijani revealed that when the administration took office in 2023, there were over 4.5 million vacant jobs in the global technology sector. He said this influenced the Ministry’s decision to create what he described as the world’s largest technology talent accelerator through 3MTT. According to him, the goal is to produce premium technical talent for both Nigeria and international markets.
Some beneficiaries of the programme shared testimonies of how the training improved their skills and opened opportunities for jobs, global programmes, tech competitions and scholarships. Hauwa Yakubu Aliyu from Jigawa State said the training helped her build solutions that support local farmers, especially in greenhouse farming. She said, “Through 3MTT, I received some of the most life-changing opportunities of my journey so far. I was given a fully funded trip to China, where I represented Nigeria at the Huawei ICT Tech4Good Global Summit. I received a brand-new laptop, which became the tool that supported my learning and helped me practice and build real projects.”
Another beneficiary, Adelani Adelaja, a military personnel from Lagos State, said the programme equipped him to build logistics solutions that improved his work and enabled him to train others in digital skills.
UNDP representative, Elsie Attafuah, praised the Tinubu administration for its economic reforms, saying, “Nigeria has chosen reform over retreat, courage over comfort, and the future over the past.” The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, announced a pledge of $48m to support the 3MTT Digital Skills Fund.
Several partners, including Google, Moniepoint, Airtel, IHS, Secure ID and HUAWEI, sent goodwill messages, commending the administration’s commitment to strengthening the technical capacity of young Nigerians and improving conditions for the telecom sector to thrive.
