The Federal Government of Nigeria has deepened its partnership with global technology leader Microsoft to train Nigerians in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital skills, boosting the country’s readiness for the AI-driven economy.
The collaboration, part of Microsoft’s National AI Skills Initiative (AINSI), has already reached more than 350,000 Nigerians with foundational and specialised AI training. This builds on a longer-term programme that has delivered digital skills training to over four million people nationwide since 2021.
Massive Scale and Impact
Microsoft’s Director for Government Affairs, West Africa, Nonye Ujam, revealed at a Lagos media briefing that roughly 350,000 participants have engaged in the AI training programme, with 63,000 completing structured learning pathways and 43,000 earning globally recognised certifications to enhance their career prospects.
The initiative spans multiple audiences: everyday tech users, students, developers, business leaders, and public sector personnel. Microsoft has also trained 99 public sector leaders from 58 ministries and agencies in AI leadership and strategy.
Developer and Public Sector Focus
Beyond general digital literacy, specialised developer programmes are underway. Under government-backed frameworks like Developers in Government (DevsInGov) and the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative, Microsoft has supported training for public-sector developers in analytics and AI integration, with around 645 participants gaining new competencies, and another 1,000 developers upskilling in advanced areas such as DevOps, machine learning and data science.
In addition, flagship events such as Microsoft AI Skills Week drew more than 235,000 participants, including business strategy sessions and hackathons co-organised with partners such as Visa, UNICEF, Data Science Nigeria, and Lagos Business School.
A Joint Vision for Nigeria’s Digital Future
The expanded AI training cooperation underscores the government’s commitment to building a future-ready workforce and aligning with national digital transformation priorities. Microsoft and government partners plan to continue scaling access to training opportunities, expand certification pathways, and strengthen AI literacy across sectors.
By equipping Nigerians with critical AI skills, the initiative seeks not only to drive innovation and economic growth but also to position Nigeria to capture a significant share of Africa’s projected AI-led productivity gains by 2030.