Fifty thousand young people across North-Central Nigeria are set to receive free digital and employability training under the Federal Government’s iDICE Skills-to-Jobs Programme.

Applications are now open to eligible youths aged between 15 and 35 in Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory.
The programme is designed to equip participants with practical skills for employment opportunities in the digital services and Business Process Outsourcing sectors.

The intervention is part of the Skills-to-Jobs component of the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises programme, which targets 300,000 young Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones.

Training will be delivered at three levels — Foundational, Developmental and Specialised — through virtual, self-paced and physical learning.
Courses will cover areas including digital literacy, customer support, data entry, data analytics, SEO writing, UI/UX, product management, coding, artificial intelligence engineering, cybersecurity, animation and digital marketing.

The programme will also provide employability support, employer engagement, job matching and placement assistance.
Bank of Industry Managing Director, Olasupo Olusi, said the initiative was designed to address the growing demand for digital talent.
“The Skills-to-Jobs initiative is an important part of the Federal Government’s effort to equip young Nigerians with industry-relevant digital and creative skills,” he said.

He added that the programme would expand access to skills development while responding to opportunities in Nigeria’s BPO industry and the global digital economy.

Tech4Dev Country Manager for Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa, Abraham Akpan, said the programme would link skills acquisition with employment opportunities.

“Skills are most valuable when they create access to meaningful economic opportunities,” Akpan said.

He said participants would receive practical training and employability support to help them participate more effectively in the economy.
TeleSoftas Chief Executive Officer, Mimshach Obioha, said aligning training with employer requirements was essential to developing a skilled workforce.
“Building a strong talent pipeline requires closer alignment between what young people learn and what employers need,” he said.

Women, persons with disabilities and young people from underserved communities are particularly encouraged to apply.

The programme is being implemented by Tech4Dev in partnership with TeleSoftas and Taltrix, while the Bank of Industry is the executing agency. It is co-financed by the African Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement and the Islamic Development Bank.

The organisers stressed that both application and participation are free, warning applicants not to pay anyone for admission, training or employment opportunities under the programme.