The Federal Government says it will provide free digital, employability and specialised skills training to 50,000 young Nigerians across North-Central Nigeria under its iDICE Skills-to-Jobs Programme, with the training designed to improve participants’ access to employment opportunities in the digital and Business Process Outsourcing sectors.
Mr Abraham Akpan, Country Manager, Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa, Tech4Dev, announced this in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos, saying the programme is open to eligible young people aged 15 to 35 in Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory. He said the initiative would equip participants with practical, job-relevant skills to improve their employability and access to job opportunities.
Speaking on the programme, Akpan said the training would provide digital, employability and specialised skills tailored to current labour-market demands.
He encouraged eligible youths across the seven states and the FCT to apply and take advantage of the opportunity, while urging prospective participants to provide accurate information and complete all required steps during the application process.
Akpan said the initiative formed part of efforts to bridge the digital skills gap and prepare young Nigerians for opportunities in the evolving digital economy.
He said the programme would help participants develop practical skills for opportunities in the digital and BPO sectors.
“Tech4Dev will implement the programme in a consortium with TeleSoftas and Taltrix, combining virtual, self-paced and in-person learning with employability support, employer engagement, job matching and placement support,” he said.
Akpan said the intervention formed part of the Skills-to-Jobs component of the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) Programme, which targets 300,000 young Nigerians across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
He said the North-Central programme would contribute 50,000 participants towards the national target.
According to him, iDICE is co-financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), with the Bank of Industry (BOI) serving as the executing agency.
Akpan said the training would be structured across three learning levels: Foundational, Developmental and Specialised.
He said areas of training would include digital literacy, customer support, data entry, data analytics, SEO writing, UI/UX, product management, coding, AI engineering, cybersecurity, animation and digital marketing.
Akpan said women, persons with disabilities and young people from underserved communities were particularly encouraged to apply, adding that specific measures had been incorporated into the programme to expand access for the groups.
He said the programme reflected Tech4Dev’s vision of creating economic prosperity for young and underserved populations.
“At Tech4Dev, we believe that skills are most valuable when they create access to meaningful economic opportunities.
“Through this programme, we are connecting practical skills development with employability support and opportunities for employment. Helping young people across North-Central Nigeria build the capabilities and confidence to participate meaningfully in the economy,” Akpan said.
He said approved training providers would deliver the training, with courses aligned with the needs of the BPO and digital services sectors.
Akpan also said participants would gain exposure to technical and professional competencies relevant to Nigeria’s outsourcing ecosystem and the wider digital economy.
Also speaking, Dr Olasupo Olusi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Industry, said the initiative would support the development of industry-relevant skills and respond to demand for digital talent.
“The Skills-to-Jobs initiative is an important part of the Federal Government’s effort to equip young Nigerians with industry-relevant digital and creative skills that can lead to meaningful employment opportunities.
“With a target of 300,000 young Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones, the programme is designed to expand access to skills development, while responding to the growing demand for talent in Nigeria’s BPO industry and the global digital economy.
“The Bank of Industry is pleased to work with Tech4Dev, TeleSoftas and Taltrix to extend this opportunity to young people across North-Central Nigeria,” Olusi said.
The Chief Executive Officer of TeleSoftas, Mr Mimshach Obioha, said closer alignment between training and employer needs was essential to developing talent.
“Building a strong talent pipeline requires closer alignment between what young people learn and what employers need.
“The programme creates an opportunity to strengthen that connection by bringing industry perspectives into skills development and preparing young people for the realities of the workplace.
“We are pleased to contribute to an initiative that is focused on building talent that can participate meaningfully in the digital economy,” Obioha said.
Eligible young people can apply through the official iDICE application portal.
The application and participation are free, and applicants should not pay anyone to apply, gain admission, access training or secure an employment opportunity through the programme.
