Nigeria stands to lose an estimated $11 billion annually in potential economic growth due to its widening digital skills gap, the Chairman of the Sector Skills Council for Information and Communications Technology, Mr. Shola Oshilaja, has warned.
Speaking through the Council’s Secretary, Mr. Chukwuemeka Okafor, at the 21st anniversary celebration of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) in Abuja on Tuesday, Oshilaja stressed the urgent need for educational reform and workforce training to prepare Nigeria for a rapidly evolving digital economy.
“In Nigeria, the digital skills gap could cost our economy an estimated $11 billion annually in lost growth opportunities,” he said. “The question before us is clear: how do we prepare Nigeria’s workforce not just for today’s market but for tomorrow’s?”
Citing the World Economic Forum, he noted that by 2027, 69% of global companies will have adopted Artificial Intelligence, potentially displacing 85 million jobs while creating 97 million new ones. He emphasized the importance of equipping Nigeria’s youth with foundational skills in coding, AI, cybersecurity, and digital marketing, starting from the secondary school level.
Oshilaja also called for a National ICT Skills Framework, aligned with global standards and anchored by the Council’s guidelines. He urged the government to provide incentives for private sector investments in digital training and to integrate mandatory internships and apprenticeships into education systems.
In response to these challenges, the President of the Digital Bridge Institute, Dr. David Daser, announced that the Federal Government is set to train five million Nigerians in Artificial Intelligence across both public and private sectors over the next three years.
“This initiative has already begun, with strong support from President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, and NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida,” Daser said.
He described this year’s theme, “Preparing Today’s Workforce for Tomorrow’s Market,” as timely, pointing out the rising importance of 5G, IoT, and cybersecurity in shaping the global workplace.
Highlighting DBI’s recent achievements, Daser cited new partnerships with the Small Business Training Solutions Group, the Global Training Partner Programme in Lagos, and the successful graduation of training cohorts in Kano and Lagos. He also mentioned the commissioning of the Information Access Centre by the minister.
While acknowledging past challenges, including delayed staff salaries and deteriorating infrastructure, Daser said the institute is now on a path of recovery and renewed focus.
