Government Spotlight: How NITDA is Creating a Digital-First Workforce in Nigeria
How Africa’s largest population is partnering with Coursera to build a three million-strong, digitally literate workforce
About the program
Scope: National workforce development initiative
Partners:
Coursera for Government
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) of Nigeria
Program objectives:
Empower Nigerians with essential digital skills
Meet requirements of emerging job roles
Position Nigeria as a global tech talent exporter
Key skill areas:
Data analytics
Software development
AI/Machine learning
Cybersecurity
Cloud computing
Entrepreneurship
Impact:
50,000+ learners
18,000+ course completions
60,000+ total enrollments
Overview + Challenge
Nigeria, with Africa’s largest population of over 200 million people and an almost 60% youth population (under 24 years old), faces both challenges and opportunities with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). This new era, marked by job automation and the creation of new industries at an unprecedented rate, presents an opportunity to use emerging technology to speed up that development.
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General and CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), explains the agency’s work to overcome these challenges: “When NITDA was established in 2001, less than 500,000 Nigerians had access to computers and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) was contributing less than 0.5 percent to our GDP. Today, we have more than 100 million Nigerians with access to the internet, and ICT is contributing more than 18 percent to our GDP. However, this growth also highlights the urgent need for a workforce with the right digital skills to sustain and accelerate this progress.”
To address these challenges, NITDA crafted a strategic roadmap with eight pillars, focusing on digital literacy, technology research, policy implementation, digital infrastructure access, cybersecurity, innovation, strategic partnerships, and internal transformation.
Abdullahi notes:
Our nation faces a pivotal moment. This new digital economy presents great opportunities but demands a workforce with skills our traditional education system isn’t equipped to provide. We see our human capital as our greatest resource, not the mineral resources underneath us. But harnessing this potential required rethinking our approach to education and skills development.
Despite this vision, Nigeria faces several challenges: an education system not equipped to provide modern digital skills, limited access to quality digital education, and the need for economic diversification from an oil-exports-based economy to a knowledge-based one.
With these obstacles in mind, NITDA realized they needed an innovative, far-reaching solution to upskill millions of Nigerians, bridge the digital divide, and position the country as a competitive player in the global digital workforce.
The Partnership
To address this ambitious upskilling and reskilling effort, NITDA launched the “Three Million Tech Talent” initiative, expanding the organization’s original “One Million Developers and Skills” program. As part of this program, NITDA partnered with Coursera to provide digital skills training to millions of Nigerians. Launched in 2022, this collaboration aims to provide high-quality, accessible, and flexible learning opportunities to a diverse population with varying levels of digital technology experience.
Says Abdullahi:
Our collaboration with Coursera allows us to tap into a global knowledge base and reach the critical mass, regardless of their location or background. The flexibility of self-paced learning really helps, as some learners are working, some are students, and some are teachers.
NITDA leaders structured the initiative into six cohorts, with plans to achieve the three million tech talent goal by 2027. To inform the program structure, NITDA conducted a survey to identify twelve high-demand skills locally and globally and refined the program to align with Nigeria’s economic needs and global tech trends. Today, the initiative covers various skills, from basic digital literacy to advanced topics like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, blockchain, and data science.
The initiative uses a hybrid delivery model, combining the flexibility of online learning with the benefits of in-person instruction and support. Learners use the Coursera platform for self-paced online learning while also having access to community centers for in-person classes and mentorship. These community centers are located in underserved communities and serve as hubs for mentorship, peer-to-peer learning, and community building.
Top 5 courses by enrollment:
Foundations of Cybersecurity, Google
Prepare Data for Exploration, Google
Impact
The NITDA-Coursera partnership has already caught the attention of global industry leaders. In September 2024, NITDA was honored with an Outstanding Achievement Award at the 12th Annual Coursera Connect conference. The award highlights the success of the organization’s original “One Million Developers and Skills” initiative in empowering Nigerians with crucial digital skills for the modern market.
This recognition underscores the program’s efforts to fill Nigeria’s digital skills gap and encourage a rising global tech talent hub. You can find more information about the award and other winners here.
NITDA’s achievements by the numbers:
50,000+ learners
60,000+ total course enrollments
18,586 verified course completions
209,270 learning hours
4.8 out of 5 average learner rating
The initiative has had tangible impacts on employability and economic growth. Abdullahi notes, “Some participants have gotten placements in big tech companies, some are working remotely, and some are starting their own businesses. IT in its nature is progressive—if you have the skills, you have the choice to either work for someone or work for yourself.”
The program also focuses on developing soft skills such as entrepreneurship, critical thinking, and problem-solving. This approach has empowered many learners to start their own businesses. NITDA supports these entrepreneurs by providing them with access to innovation hubs and makerspaces where they can turn their ideas into products and services.
Looking Ahead
As the program enters its next phase and opens its third cohort, NITDA is setting its sights even higher. “Our goal is to make Nigeria a net exporter of tech talent,” says Abdullahi. “We’re building the foundation for Nigeria to lead in the global digital economy.”
Future plans include:
Expanding the program to reach the targeted three million tech talent by 2027.
Achieving 95% digital literacy by 2030 through the “Digital Literacy for All” initiative.
Integrating digital literacy into formal education, from kindergarten to tertiary institutions.
Training teachers to deliver digital literacy curriculum using Coursera’s platform.
Developing bite-sized digital literacy content for the informal sector.
Encouraging partnerships with local and international tech companies for internships and job placements.
Abdullahi envisions a broader impact in the future: “If we can train the teachers who will teach digital literacy in schools, we can touch the lives of 15 to 20 million Nigerians in the next three years.” NITDA is exploring ways to leverage Coursera’s platform to develop local content and empower teachers with tools to create their own educational materials. This approach aims to make the learning experience more relevant and accessible to all sectors of Nigerian society.
The NITDA-Coursera partnership showcases how strategic collaboration between government, educators, and the private sector can drive national transformation. As Nigeria continues to invest in its citizens, it’s positioning itself as a budding leader in Africa’s digital renaissance.
This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.