Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has announced a partnership with Coursera for the launch of the Digital Training Academy, a federal initiative aimed at equipping young Nigerians with globally competitive digital skills.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Education World Forum 2026 in London.
Dr Alausa said the programme would provide young Nigerians with world-class training in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, Software Engineering and other high-demand digital fields.
Participants will also earn globally recognised certifications valued by employers across the world.
The Minister said the initiative forms part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and represents a major investment in Nigeria’s digital workforce.
Under the first phase of the programme, the Federal Government has fully funded 36,000 licences across Coursera and Pluralsight for the first year. Dr Alausa said the intervention was designed to remove financial barriers and ensure that Nigerian youths can access quality digital education.
“This is one of the largest government-funded digital skills investments in Nigeria’s history,” he said.
The programme will be implemented in partnership with the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, and Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos, YABATECH.
Dr Alausa said the partnership would combine nationwide access with industry-focused mentorship and support.
He said digital competence had become essential for national growth, youth empowerment and global competitiveness.
“Digital competency is no longer optional. It is foundational. We are building a generation of young Nigerians that can compete, lead and thrive in the global digital economy,” Dr Alausa said.
The Minister also thanked Coursera, NOUN and YABATECH for supporting the initiative.
