The MTN Foundation has officially launched its Skills Academy, a groundbreaking digital learning platform aimed at empowering millions of Nigerians with essential digital and financial skills for the 21st-century economy.
The launch event, held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, brought together prominent government officials, education stakeholders, and technology experts, highlighting the importance of public-private collaboration in building a digitally inclusive Nigeria.
Nigeria faces a pressing need to close the digital skills gap, with youth unemployment exceeding 6% and over 18.3 million children out of school, according to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
In response to this challenge, the Skills Academy offers free, self-paced courses and certifications in high-demand areas such as data analysis, software engineering, digital marketing, and project management.
Dr. Mosun Belo-Olusoga, chairman of the MTN Foundation, represented by Simon Aranonu, director of the MTN Foundation, emphasized the importance of digital skills in empowering Nigerian youth.
“We believe digital skills are a truly powerful asset. No Nigerian youth or child should be left behind because of their socioeconomic background. This platform is designed to provide world-class learning experiences, helping Nigerian youth thrive and become future leaders.”
The platform has already shown promising results, with over 7,000 people learning and over 3,000 courses completed. Dr. Bosun Tijani, the minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, praised the platform as “unique and critical” in equipping a generation that will drive innovation and deepen the economy.
Odunayo Sanya, executive director of the MTN Foundation, added that the platform aims to build Africa’s largest digital talent pipeline through relevant and practical courses in collaboration with Coursera.
The Skills Academy platform is open to individuals aged 13 and above, whether in school, recently graduated, self-employed, or unemployed.
The platform also features a career guidance tool to help users explore pathways aligned with their strengths and market demand. The platform can be accessed at (link unavailable), providing a valuable resource for Nigerians seeking to acquire digital skills and improve their employability.
Read Also: ALX Nigeria Unveils 2025 Ventures Incubator Cohort