In a most significant step towards positioning Nigeria as one of the major and leading hub for technological developments in Africa, the Federal Government has launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science training program. This initiation is targeted at young Nigerians and it is aimed at equipping participants with with critical digital skills. This will foster innovation and enhance employability in an increasingly technology-driven world.
The Minister of Communications, Bosun Tijani, on Thursday the 30th day of January 2025, announced the commencement of this program. The ‘DeepTech_Ready Upskilling’ is an AI and Data Science training program that has been projected towards the effort to strengthen the government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative.
As a form of partnership, Google has backed this program as part of its N2.8 billion grant to upskill young Nigerians in AI. It is however slated to run for a period of Six months per cohort. To make it more feasible, this program is a combination of self-paced and on-site learning, with online support.
An outline breakdown of this program includes advanced data analysis and visualization, data science and machine learning, data architecture, geospatial data science, and computer vision.
With the basic prerequisite being that this program is open to 3MTT Fellows and individuals with basic to intermediate knowledge in relevant technical fields, You can apply to be a part of this program using this link 3mtt.nitda.gov.ng/deeptech
Bridging the Digital Skills Gap through AI and Data Science
With the rise in the global demand for AI professionals, Nigeria is currently seizing the opportunity to nurture a real homegrown talent. To this end, this training program spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, is a direct response specially designed to provide hands-on experience in machine learning, big data analytics, and AI-driven solutions.