In a significant boost to Nigeria's digital economy ambitions, technology giant Microsoft has announced a major milestone from its partnership with the federal government.
A Five-Year Digital Transformation Push
More than four million Nigerians have received digital skills training since 2021 through collaborative efforts between Microsoft and the Federal Government. This revelation was made by Nonye Ujam, Microsoft's Director of Government Affairs for West Africa, during a media roundtable in Lagos on Tuesday.
Ujam stated that this achievement underscores Nigeria's deepening commitment to establishing a robust digital economy. She provided further breakdowns, noting that approximately 350,000 individuals are currently enrolled in Microsoft's student-centric programs. From these initiatives, 63,000 participants have completed specific training pathways, and an impressive 43,000 Nigerians have earned globally recognized certifications.
Scaling Up with a Focus on Artificial Intelligence
Looking forward, Microsoft unveiled an ambitious new phase focused on artificial intelligence. The company plans to train an additional 350,000 Nigerians in AI skills under its National AI Skills Initiative (AINSI).
Ujam described this as a pivotal step, implemented alongside the federal government, Data Science Nigeria, and the Lagos Business School. The broader, long-term goal is to upskill a total of five million Nigerians.
Microsoft's support extends to developers through specialized programs and government-led schemes like the Developers in Government (DevsInGov) and the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy. To date, these efforts have seen 645 participants trained in analytics and AI integration, and another 1,000 developers gain advanced skills in DevOps, machine learning, and data science.
"These efforts are helping Nigeria’s workforce prepare for the future by advancing AI fluency across the digital ecosystem," Ujam emphasized.
Nigeria's Position in the Continental AI Boom
Also speaking at the event, Abideen Yusuf, Country General Manager for Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana, provided crucial context. He noted that Nigeria's current AI adoption rate is 8.7%, slightly below the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 10%.
With Africa's economy projected to gain up to $1.5 trillion from AI by 2030, Yusuf stressed the urgency for Nigeria to strategically position its youthful population—median age 18—to lead in this sector. He affirmed Microsoft's focus on innovation, infrastructure, and skills development, highlighting that collaboration with the government is key to building a future-ready workforce.
Contributing to the discourse, Olayinka David-West, Dean of Lagos Business School, reported that the partnership has already trained 99 public sector leaders from 58 government agencies. She argued that AI competency must extend beyond technical know-how to include governance, ethics, and risk management.
David-West added that the second phase of AINSI aims to reach one million Nigerians within the next three years, stating that AI skills are now indispensable for national competitiveness.
Representing Data Science Nigeria, Business Lead Aanu Oyeniran highlighted the grassroots impact, noting Microsoft's support has empowered 38 training partners nationwide with essential learning infrastructure.
Microsoft reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring AI is both widely accessible and responsibly deployed, with the ultimate goal of empowering individuals and organizations across Nigeria to achieve more.
