President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme as a game-changer for Nigeria’s youth and digital economy.

Speaking Thursday at the 3MTT National Impact Summit held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, President Tinubu, represented by Senator George Akume, said Nigeria’s true wealth lies in the creativity and potential of its people, not oil or minerals.

He highlighted that since May 2023, the initiative has attracted over 1.8 million applications nationwide, creating jobs, supporting startups, and extending digital skills training beyond major cities.

“Digital skills now drive growth across every sector, from agriculture and healthcare to finance and manufacturing. 3MTT empowers our youth to become global creators and innovators,” Akume said.

He commended the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, as well as partners including MTN Nigeria, Google, Microsoft, the UNDP, and the EU, describing 3MTT as a platform that lays the foundation for a digital workforce to lead Nigeria’s next chapter of growth and shared prosperity.

Earlier, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, lauded President Tinubu’s transformative digital reforms.

In just over two years, the administration has established the National Data Protection Commission, designated telecom infrastructure as critical national infrastructure, and approved a $2 billion nationwide fiber-optic expansion.

Dr. Tijani explained that 3MTT was inspired by the President’s pledge under the Renewed Hope Agenda to create one million technology jobs, but an assessment of the sector revealed even greater opportunities.

“At the end of 2023, there were 4.5 million unfilled tech jobs globally,” he said. “With Nigeria’s youthful population, average age 16.9, we are in a strong position to become a net exporter of skilled talent.”

He said this insight informed the decision to build the world’s largest tech talent accelerator, aimed at training three million Nigerians in digital skills for both local and global markets.

Dr. Tijani noted that while the programme began without budgetary provision, the private sector stepped in decisively.

Over 15,000 fellows have already secured jobs, many earning above N250,000, and 201 learning centres have been activated nationwide.

He applauded partners, including IHS Towers, MTN, Airtel, Google, AWS, and Microsoft, for investing billions into the programme, providing laptops, innovation prizes, and technical support.

“Trainees from 3MTT are the future of Nigeria’s digital workforce and a key driver of national productivity,” Tijani said, emphasizing that sustaining the initiative will require continued private-sector collaboration and long-term funding.