The Nigerian government has formed an advisory committee to guide its 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program. The Program is aimed at creating a skilled digital workforce to support Nigeria’s digital economy.
It is part of the government’s Renewed Hope agenda, which aspires to position Nigeria as a net talent exporter by training 3 million Nigerians in digital skills.
According to Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, the committee is led by Emeka Afigbo, Senior Director of Developer Success at Okta. Afigbo, who has previous experience with Meta and Google, is expected to bring his expertise in building developer ecosystems across Africa to the 3MTT program.
Other committee members include:
- Iyinoluwa Aboyeji with his deep insights into Africa’s startup ecosystem and investment industry is expected to bring this to bear on the government’s program and impact the fellows.
- Ope Bukola brings experience in edtech, which aligns with 3MTT’s mission to scale up tech education across the continent.
- Oji Udezue, who is a former chief product officer at Typeform, Calendly, and Twitter, will be expected to use his expertise in product management to help shape the program’s structure and outreach.
- Joy Omoregie brings to the committee a strong understanding of go-to-market strategies essential for digital transformation in emerging markets.
- Bola Lawal with a background in digital finance and business development, provides insights into aligning training with market needs.
- Amal Hassan, a leader in the outsourcing sector, brings experience in job creation and talent development, particularly within Nigeria.
The committee will oversee the phased implementation of the 3MTT program, providing guidance on its structure and outreach. Initially, the program has trained 30,000 Nigerians, about 1% of the target. With 270,000 individuals currently in the second phase, the program is now at 10% of its goal. Skills training covers a wide array of digital competencies, from project management software and data analysis to digital marketing, UX/UI design, and cloud platform navigation.
Dr. Tijani emphasized the collaborative nature of the program, which involves government agencies, educational institutions, private-sector partners, and development agencies. He expressed optimism that with strong advisory support, the 3MTT initiative will build Nigeria’s talent base for both local and global opportunities.
