Nigeria launches digital skills programme targeting 300,000 young people

Nigeria is going after a familiar problem with a very large number: 300,000 young people. The federal government has started a programme that will train people between the ages of 15 and 35 for work in technology, the creative industries and outsourcing. The training will run across all six geopolitical zones, covering every state and the Federal Capital Territory.

But the interesting part of the programme is not the training itself. Nigeria has run plenty of skills programmes before. The harder part has always been what happens when the training ends. This time, the government says it wants at least 80% of the people who complete the programme to be connected to jobs. That works out to roughly 240,000 people.

A certificate is not enough

Learning a digital skill does not automatically produce an income. A young person can learn coding, design or digital marketing and still struggle to find a company willing to hire them. Freelancers face a similar problem. Having the skill is one thing; finding someone prepared to pay for it is another.

That is why the employment target attached to this programme is more important than the number of people entering the classrooms. Six organisations have been selected to run the training across the six geopolitical zones. They will also be responsible for helping graduates find work. The jobs being targeted include opportunities in Nigeria's digital and creative industries as well as work connected to the global outsourcing market.

It is part of a much bigger programme

The training is being funded through the government's Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme. iDICE has a funding package of $617.7 million involving the Federal Government, the African Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement and the Islamic Development Bank. The Bank of Industry is both a co-financier and the agency responsible for implementing the programme.

Participants will be placed into Basic, Intermediate or Advanced training depending on their level of experience. There will be online and face-to-face sessions. That is intended to make it possible for people outside the main technology hubs to take part.

The programme has specific targets

The government wants women to account for at least 40% of the 300,000 participants. At least 5% of participants are expected to be people living with disabilities and young people who are not currently in employment, education or training. Applicants will be screened by the organisations delivering the programme, with the Bank of Industry overseeing the process.

The job numbers will tell the story

The government can easily report how many people register, how many attend training and how many receive certificates. The harder numbers will come later. How many graduates find jobs? How many earn a regular income from freelancing? How many are still working in the field six or 12 months later?

The programme's 80% employment-linkage target gives it something concrete to measure against. But even that needs some context. Being referred to an employer is not the same thing as being hired, and getting one freelance contract is not the same as having a stable income.

That is why the real result of the programme will take longer to see. For the 300,000 people being targeted, the calculation is fairly simple: learning a new skill is useful only if there is a way to turn it into work.

Applications are open

Nigerians aged 15 to 35 who live in the country and want to pursue work in the digital or creative economy can apply through the iDICE Skills Training to Jobs programme.