FG secures over N6bn private-sector funding to expand 3MTT nationwide

Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani

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The Federal Government has secured more than N6.45 billion in private sector support to scale up the 3 Million Technical Talent programme across the country.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, announced this on Thursday at the 3MTT National Impact Summit held at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja.

Tijani said the backing from IHS, MTN, and Airtel would strengthen training infrastructure, deepen community engagement, and widen access for young Nigerians preparing for technology careers.

According to a presentation obtained by The PUNCH, IHS committed N2.5 billion, MTN N2.95 billion, and Airtel N1 billion to the initiative.

Tijani attributed the programme’s rapid growth to strong national demand and President Bola Tinubu’s reforms in the digital economy sector, which aim to improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

“Every agenda of his administration and all the reforms that he’s made are solely for the average Nigerian,” he said, adding that the summit also served to appreciate the President’s contribution to the country’s digital economy.

Highlighting key interventions that restored investor confidence, Tijani cited the National Data Protection Commission Act, the 2023 launch of 3MTT, the approval of a $2 billion, 90,000-kilometre fibre project, the designation of telecom infrastructure as critical national assets, and tariff adjustments for operators.

He also detailed previous private-sector contributions, noting that IHS was the first to support the programme with N1 billion at its launch and later invested N1.5 billion to rehabilitate a damaged tech park in Kano.

MTN contributed N3 billion for training, devices, and data, while Airtel provided N1 billion for the 3MTT NextGen stream.

“These gave us the foundation to produce what you’re seeing in the room today,” Tijani said.

He added that non-cash support from global technology companies—including AWS, Google, Huawei, and Microsoft—further strengthened the programme.

The minister said the overwhelming response to 3MTT confirmed that the initiative addressed a genuine national need, with over 1.8 million Nigerians applying within the first month from all states and local governments.

Applicants were required to register with either NIN or BVN, ensuring unique identification.

Tijani explained that the programme is being executed in phases: the first phase trained 30,000 learners starting December 2023, the second phase scaled to one million trainees by July 2024, and the final phase, targeting three million Nigerians, will begin next year.

He reported that direct employment from the first phase already exceeds 15,000, with many fellows earning salaries above N250,000.

The government has activated 201 applied learning centres nationwide and engaged 583 learning partners and 37 community managers to support delivery.

Highlighting job placement, Tijani said the European Union and UNDP, through the Jubilee Fellows Programme, provided funding for internship placements, enabling fellows to transition into employment at no cost to host organisations.

Tinubu, represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, said Nigeria’s ambition to become a $1 trillion economy hinges on sustained investment in digital skills and the productivity of its youth.

“The countries that lead the world today are those that invest purposefully in the skills of their young population,” he said.

Tinubu added that digital skills are now essential across agriculture, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, education, and public service, positioning Nigeria as a competitive player globally.

Launched in October 2023 by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the 3MTT programme aims to train three million Nigerians in digital and technical skills by 2027.

It focuses on software development, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data science, combining online learning with in-person instruction across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

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