50 Nigerian youths to battle for FG, Ericsson digital skills mentorship

…Digital skills mentorship will position Nigeria as supplier of AI, 5G solutions

Nigerians are expected to battle for the space reserved for only 50 that will be selected for digital mentorship, skills development and enterprise support under the Connect NextGen Innovation Hackathon.

The programme, which is a joint initiative between the Federal Government and the telecommunications giant, Ericsson, is aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s technology ecosystem and expanding job opportunities.

The hackathon is designed as a nationwide innovation pipeline beginning with open applications and large-scale mentorship expected to engage about 50 Nigerian youths, with participants drawn from universities, startups and technology hubs across the Country.

With the registration portal, which is open until March 10, 2026, officials say, 50 high-potential teams will be shortlisted from the broad pool for intensive technical guidance and product development support, before narrowing to 10 finalists for incubation and acceleration, with eventual winners positioned as emerging industry leaders capable of building scalable solutions for local and global markets.

Speaking on the scheme, Vice President Kashim Shettima, said the programme aligns directly with President Bola Tinubu’s economic priorities, particularly job creation and youth empowerment, stressing that employment generation in the 21st century is inseparable from digital capability and technological innovation.

“The _Connect NextGen Innovation Hackathon_ is designed to deepen this reality—to make Nigeria a supplier of solutions to the world. A brilliant line of code written in Abuja can power a system in Stockholm; a solution imagined in Kano can transform a farm in Kenya”, he said.

He described it as a “A brilliant line of code written in Nigeria can power systems anywhere in the world,” he said, stressing that Nigeria’s youthful population remains its strongest advantage in the unfolding digital revolution.”

He also noted that exposing young Nigerians to emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, internet of things and sustainable technologies would strengthen the Country’s workforce and stimulate technology-driven entrepreneurship.

The Vice President further observed that the global economy had evolved into a borderless knowledge ecosystem where innovation is no longer limited by geography, adding that Nigeria’s youthful population remains its greatest competitive advantage in the unfolding digital revolution.

He said the initiative was structured to convert the nation’s demographic strength into economic productivity through structured mentorship, incubation and private-sector collaboration.

Also speaking, Kingsley Udeh, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, said the government is deliberately investing in knowledge-based growth, describing hackathons as platforms that move ideas from curiosity to commercial value while nurturing problem-solving skills among young innovators.

Olusoji Ogundele, the Nigerian Country Manager of Ericsson, said the partnership reflects the company’s long-term commitment to Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda, noting that sustained investment in infrastructure and skills transfer would enable the country to export digital talent globally and strengthen competitiveness in the knowledge economy.

Development partners equally reaffirmed their support for the programme. The Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca, described investments in digital skills and public-private partnerships as strategic choices capable of shaping inclusive growth and long-term economic resilience, while the Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Anna Westerholm, said the initiative reflects the strength of international collaboration anchored on youth empowerment and innovation.

Earlier, Shuhdah Ahmed, Special Assistant to the President on Project Support, had declared that the partnership between the Office of the Vice President and Ericsson bridges the gap between education and industry through structured mentorship and practical learning.

Salihu Dasuki, Special Assistant to the President on ICT Policy, noted that the programme goes beyond training to measurable outcomes involving universities, startups and innovation ecosystems nationwide.

Stakeholders at the launch collectively described the Connect NextGen Innovation Hackathon as more than a competition, but a coordinated national effort to translate policy into productivity, nurture home-grown digital solutions and firmly position Nigeria as a competitive force in the global knowledge economy.

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