Microsoft Partners with Nigerian Government to Train Over Four Million People in Digital Skills

Microsoft has announced that its longstanding partnership with the Nigerian Federal Government has successfully delivered digital training to over four million Nigerians since 2021. This milestone was revealed by Nonye Ujam, Director for Government Affairs at Microsoft West Africa, during a media roundtable in Lagos.

Ujam highlighted that the achievement reflects Nigeria’s commitment to thriving in the digital economy. She noted that 350,000 individuals have actively participated in Microsoft’s specialized student programs, with 63,000 completing specific training pathways and 43,000 earning global certifications.

A significant focus of the initiative is Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills development, with plans to train an additional 350,000 Nigerians under the National Skills Initiative (AINSI). This program is conducted in collaboration with partners such as Data Science Nigeria and Lagos Business School.

Microsoft is also supporting government-driven initiatives like Developers in Government (DevsInGov) and the Three Million Technical Talent Initiative (3MTT), led by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy. These programs have helped public sector developers acquire new skills, with around 645 participants trained in analytics and AI integration, and another 1,000 developers gaining advanced expertise in DevOps, machine learning, and data science.

Nonye Ujam emphasized that these efforts are preparing Nigeria’s workforce for the future by advancing AI fluency across the digital ecosystem.

At the event, Abideen Yusuf, Country General Manager for Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana, revealed that Nigeria’s current AI adoption rate is 8.7%, slightly below the Sub-Saharan African average of 10%. He stressed the urgency for Nigeria to position its youthful population, median age 18 years to lead in AI, given Africa’s projected $1.5 trillion GDP gain from AI by 2030.

Yusuf outlined Microsoft’s focus on three key areas: innovation (frontier), infrastructure (connectivity and power), and skills development. He affirmed that Microsoft’s collaboration with the government aims to build a future-ready workforce by equipping leaders, developers, and tech users to adopt and maximize AI technology.

Mrs. Olayinka David-West, Dean of Lagos Business School, one of Microsoft’s partners, added that the partnership has successfully trained 99 public sector leaders from 58 agencies. She emphasized that skill development must extend beyond technical expertise to include governance and risk management.

This comprehensive partnership underscores Microsoft’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s digital landscape and upskilling five million citizens to meet the demands of the evolving digital economy.