Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) called for digital training to be tied more closely to paid work and services exports during September 2026 meetings alongside the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States.
Director-General and Chief Executive Officer Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said training programmes should be judged by whether participants found work, built businesses or increased their earnings.
He spoke at the Scaling Africa’s Digital Workforce panel on September 21, where he identified difficulties verifying skills, limited access to devices and connectivity, and insufficient demand for workers as barriers between training and employment.
Okay News reports that Inuwa urged greater support for verifiable credentials and routes into a first paid job, according to the account of the session circulated in September.
He said the approach also needed to include traders, farmers, artisans and other self-employed people. For them, digital skills could support payments, customer access, record-keeping and protection against fraud.
At the separate Hire From Nigeria forum on September 24, Inuwa argued for services supported by artificial intelligence and trusted digital infrastructure as Nigeria sought international customers.
He joined Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, and Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, for discussions on skills, trade and inclusive employment.
The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation identified the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP) among the campaign’s government partners, alongside private-sector organisations.
Inuwa said data protection, identity systems, cybersecurity and predictable rules were needed to make Nigeria a dependable services destination. He called for Nigerian talent to be equipped to deliver higher-value services to international businesses.
