Lagos: Microsoft announced that its partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria has successfully delivered digital training to over four million individuals since 2021. The Director for Government Affairs at Microsoft for West Africa, Nonye Ujam, shared this achievement during a media roundtable in Lagos, emphasizing Nigeria’s commitment to excelling in the digital economy.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Ujam highlighted that 350,000 people have been actively involved in specialized student programs, with 63,000 completing specific training paths and 43,000 obtaining global certifications. She also announced plans to train an additional 350,000 Nigerians in Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills as part of the National Skills Initiative (AINSI). This initiative is being implemented in collaboration with Data Science Nigeria and Lagos Business School, reaffirming Microsoft’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s digital landscape and upskilling five million citizens.
Ujam explained that Microsoft is focusing on equipping developers for the future through 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 trained around 645 participants in analytics and AI integration, and another 1,000 developers have gained advanced skills in DevOps, machine learning, and data science.
Country General Manager for Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana, Mr. Abideen Yusuf, noted that Nigeria’s current AI adoption rate is 8.7 percent, slightly below the Sub-Saharan average. He emphasized the importance of positioning Nigeria’s youth to lead in the AI sector, focusing on innovation, infrastructure, and skills.
Microsoft’s partner, Dean of Lagos Business School, Mrs. Olayinka David-West, stated that the partnership has successfully trained 99 public sector leaders from 58 agencies. She stressed the importance of going beyond technical skills to include governance and risk management. David-West also highlighted the second phase of Nigeria’s skilling program, which aims to reach one million citizens in three years.
Founder of Data Science Nigeria, Dr. Bayo Adekanmbi, represented by Mr. Aanu Oyeniran, emphasized the importance of coordinated investment across stakeholder groups to achieve AI readiness. The collaboration with Microsoft has empowered 38 training partners with the necessary infrastructure to remove learning barriers.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Microsoft is committed to making AI widely accessible and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every individual and organization globally to achieve more.