We’ve now trained 4 million Nigerians in digital skills in five years – Microsoft

Microsoft, a global tech giant, has announced that it has now trained 4 million Nigerians in various digital skills over the past five years. The schemes were carried out in partnership with the Federal Government, Data Science Nigeria, and Lagos Business School.

According to Microsoft’s Director for Government Affairs for West Africa, Nonye Ujam, in a media roundtable in Lagos on Tuesday, the milestone is significant for Nigeria’s aim of achieving a digital economy. Recall that under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Administration, Nigeria aims for a $1 trillion digital economy.

Nonye Ujam

In the scheme, 350,000 young Nigerians have been engaged in its student programme. In that, 63,000 completed specific training pathways, and 43,000 received global certification. Ms Ujam also revealed additional training of 350,000 Nigerians in Artificial Intelligence (AI), a major milestone in its National Skills Initiative (AINSI).

The Microsoft executive said the scheme is part of the company’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s digital landscape and up-skilling five million citizens. The training was carried out through government-driven initiatives such as Developers in Government (DevsInGov) and the Three Million Technical Talent Initiative (3MTT) led by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy. 

“Microsoft is equipping developers for the future through developer-focused programmes, creating a strong pipeline of technical talent. These efforts are helping Nigeria’s workforce prepare for the future by advancing AI fluency across the digital ecosystem,” Ms Ujam explained.

In addition to the numbers, about 645 participants have been trained in analytics and AI integration, while another 1,000 developers learned advanced skills in areas such as DevOps, machine learning and data science.

Also Read: Microsoft to increase Microsoft 365 prices worldwide from July 2026.

Microsoft’s commitment to AI training 

For Microsoft, the global aim is to make AI available, fueled by the mission to empower young individuals with digital skills and help African organisations achieve increased productivity.

According to Microsoft, Nigeria’s current AI adoption rate is 8.7%, slightly below the Sub-Saharan average of 10%. While Africa’s Gross Domestic Product has been projected to gain an additional $1 trillion through AI integration by 2035, the company is positioning young Nigerians to champion the potential. 

Country General Manager, Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana, Abideen Yusuf, said that Nigeria cannot afford to wait, as AI is reshaping every sector and African countries that move fastest on skills will lead. He explained that Microsoft is building a future-ready workforce by collaborating with the government to equip leaders, developers and tech users. 

“We are focusing on three key indices: the frontier (innovation), Infrastructure (connectivity and power), and most importantly, skills,” he added. 

Microsoft AI Tour (Nigeria) | Photo: Peter Oluka/Techeconomy

The Nigerian government has been making an effort to empower Nigerians with digital skills and AI tools.

Recently, the Ministry of Education launched an initiative designed to empower teachers nationwide with zero-rated data access and subsidised devices for improved class delivery and professional development. The pilot phase, which will capture 8,000 teachers nationwide, will run from December 2025 to July 2026.

The project, rolled out under a Ministerial Implementation Committee chaired by Dr Alausa, partnered with leading telecom companies MTN and Airtel. Other local and international partners are TRCN, NERDC, UBEC, UBA, NITDA, Amazon, UNICEF, and UNESCO.