The Federal Government’s Digital Training Academy is scheduled for its national launch on Monday, September 14, 2026, with 16,000 Nigerians selected for the programme’s inaugural cohort.

The free training initiative, implemented through the Federal Ministry of Education, is designed to equip Nigerians with internationally relevant digital and professional skills while providing access to globally recognised learning platforms.

The government received 72,850 applications from across Nigeria during the first-cohort registration period, which opened on August 17 and closed on September 1.

Following the screening and selection process, 16,000 learners were enrolled for the first phase.

Successful applicants have been advised to log into their accounts, accept their training licence offers and begin their courses.

Training will be delivered through Coursera and Pluralsight, with participants able to study across several high-demand technology fields.

Courses listed for the programme include Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Financial Technology, Product Management, Natural Language Processing, Quantum Computing, Cloud Computing, IT Automation and Agentic AI.

The official Digital Training Academy platform currently says the wider programme aims to enrol 32,000 Nigerians in free, government-funded training and cover more than 10 skill areas.

According to the platform, participants will also have access to training centres equipped with internet connectivity and learning devices, providing an option for beneficiaries who may not have suitable equipment of their own.

The academy forms part of the Federal Government’s wider push to improve digital skills and prepare more Nigerians for employment and business opportunities in the technology-driven economy.

Adebayo Onigbanjo, National Coordinator of the ministry’s programme implementation unit, said ahead of the national launch that the first cohort was intended to establish the systems and partnerships needed for future expansion of the academy.

The programme is being implemented as part of the government's education digitalisation and human capital development initiatives.

Participants selected for the first cohort include successful applicants as well as beneficiaries integrated from existing government digital-skills programmes and partner institutions.

Learners nominated through institutions including Yaba College of Technology and the National Open University of Nigeria were also incorporated into the programme.

The academy says Nigerians aged 18 and above are eligible for the programme, including students, job seekers and people who are already employed but want to improve their skills or change career paths.

Most training tracks are expected to last between eight and 12 weeks, combining self-paced learning with live sessions and practical projects.

Participants who successfully complete their courses and meet the required assessment criteria will receive certificates.

For the first cohort, however, fresh applications are no longer open following the closure of registration on September 1.

Attention is expected to turn to the national launch on Monday, where the Federal Ministry of Education had indicated that additional information on the expansion of the Digital Training Academy and subsequent cohorts would be announced.

Prospective applicants who missed the first cohort will therefore have to await details of the next application window.

The official Digital Training Academy portal is dta.education.gov.ng.