By Atoyebi Nike
Microsoft says its partnership with the Federal Government has trained more than four million Nigerians in digital skills since 2021.
The disclosure came on Tuesday in Lagos during a media roundtable addressed by Microsoft West Africa’s Director for Government Affairs, Nonye Ujam.
She said 350,000 participants enrolled in Microsoft’s specialized student programmes, with 63,000 completing structured learning pathways and 43,000 earning global certifications.
Ujam announced plans to train another 350,000 Nigerians in artificial intelligence through the AI National Skills Initiative, implemented with Data Science Nigeria and Lagos Business School.
She added that Microsoft continues to strengthen Nigeria’s developer pipeline through targeted technical programmes.
Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana Country Manager Abideen Yusuf said Nigeria’s AI adoption rate stands at 8.7 per cent, below the Sub-Saharan African average.
According to him, rapid investment in skills, infrastructure, and innovation remains critical for Nigeria’s competitiveness.
Dean of Lagos Business School, Olayinka David-West, said the partnership has trained 99 public sector leaders from 58 government agencies.
She stressed that AI education must include governance, ethics, and risk management to support inclusive growth.
Data Science Nigeria founder, Bayo Adekanmbi, represented by Aanu Oyeniran, said the program prioritizes grassroots access and responsible innovation to build a future-ready workforce.
