The Federal Government, in collaboration with the World Bank and a consortium of tech firms, has successfully trained 400 Nigerians in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cybersecurity as part of a groundbreaking digital skills initiative.
The training program, launched in January 2024, was executed by the House of Heroz (HOH) among others in response to the Federal Ministry of Education’s call for proposals in 2022.
The TechUnlock project, located in Ajah, Lagos, experienced its official flag-off and was part of a broader effort to enhance digital literacy and technical expertise among Nigerian youths.
“This is just the beginning. We started with 400, next year we’re looking at 1,000, and we’re looking at reaching communities that were not reached before. We’re looking at reaching marginalised youths, more people with disabilities, and people who cannot readily access these skills,” said David Ogebe, CEO of House of Heroz and Project Lead of the TechUnlock Project.
According to him, digital skills are important today in Africa and globally because technology and digital skills are accelerated in this age.
He said that the choice of AI and Cybersecurity is to key into technological courses that would be relevant in the 10 to 30 years globally.
“These courses in terms of costs are quite expensive, but we’re bringing this to them for free. We’re trying to penetrate communities that cannot originally afford it, to give them a level playing field, a shot at tech,” he added.
TechUnlock Nigeria Boot camp is a 4-week training program set to train and develop you to acquire relevant tech skills for career acceleration, or freelancing.
The program’s first cohort, which started in January, saw 203 trainees undergo intensive daily training, leading to a 95 percent pass rate in certification exams.
Following the success of the first cohort, a second batch of 238 trainees began their training in March 2024. According to the organisers, these participants are currently completing their capstone projects and preparing for their certification exams.
Representing the Minister of Education and National Project Coordinator, Ndem Ndiyo, consultant for the Innovation Grant Facility, said it was imperative to develop skills for the youth in the country to foster employability.
He said: “Beyond the skill development, this program also exposes them to internships, where they have industry experience. And thereafter, the MOU with the House of Heroz Consortium, an NGO, is to also assist them with job placements.
“Cybersecurity and artificial intelligence are the skills for the future and these youths will be exposed to certification bodies, through which most of them earn certifications that are in line with NSQF, National Skills Qualification Framework.
“That certification helps them to unlock the labour market, and then become employable, get engaged to employment, or become self-employed.”
