The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that the Federal Government’s 3 million Technical Talent (3MTT) program is capable of increasing the digital and technical skills of young Nigerians by 70% by the end of 2027.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, stated this while speaking at the City Business News Summit held in Lagos.
A recent survey conducted by GetBundi, an online education technology outfit, revealed that more than 100 million young Nigerians, representing 85%, have no digital skills to take up good job opportunities that require such modern skills. However, Maida believes the 3MTT program will turn things around.
According to him, the program through which the government is planning to train 3 million Nigerians, is capable of increasing Nigeria’s pool of technically skilled persons in the global market leading to potential employers of digital and technical skills in the international scene to begin to engage more Nigerians.
Productive contribution to the economy
While noting that the program will empower the Nigerian youths to productively contribute to the nation’s economy, Maida who was represented by the Commission’s Director of Research and Development, Ismail Adedigba, said:
- “This programme, which has commenced already with over 1 million applications by potential trainees, is expected to increase the level of digital and technical skills among Nigerians, especially young and middle-level talents, to 70 per cent by the end of 2027. This will position Nigerians to productively contribute to the economy and place us in the top 25 percentile of research globally in the key areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), IoT, Robotics, Blockchain, and Additive Manufacturing in keeping with the strategic plan unveiled by the Honourable Minister.”
Maida said the policy direction of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy under Dr. Bosun Tijani, which is being driven by five pillars, will deliver on the goals of fostering economic growth and development.
These pillars which include policy; infrastructure; innovation, entrepreneurship and capital; trade and knowledge, are the bedrock of the Strategic Vision Plan (2023 – 2025) and form the guide to channel our efforts to harness the potential of the telecommunications sector and drive positive change in Nigeria.
Fostering innovation
Speaking on the theme of the summit, ‘Repositioning Nigerian Economy through Telecommunications: 2023 and Beyond’, NCC boss noted that, in recognition of the rapid pace of technological advancement that is disrupting industries across the globe, Nigeria’s vision is rooted in the belief that embracing this disruption and fostering innovation will propel the nation toward sustainable growth, economic diversification, and enhanced living standards for all Nigerians.
- “The vision is, thus, to accelerate the growth of Nigeria as a global technical talent hub and a net exporter of talent; to deepen and accelerate our position in global research in key technology areas and raise the complexity and dynamics of our economy by significantly increasing the level of digital literacy across Nigeria. In this regard, the Honourable Minister is looking to create a pipeline of three million technical talents,” he said.
He said the Commission remains committed to providing an enabling environment for the building of the critical infrastructure required to power a strong digital economy, guarantee improved access to quality broadband connectivity, and the efficient management of the nation’s spectrum resources.