Nigeria partners U.S firm, SBTS Group LLC to equip youths with digital skills 

The announcement, made on Friday by DBI’s Head of Public Affairs, Akin Ogunlade, highlighted the initiative’s potential to create thousands of job opportunities both within Nigeria and abroad.

This partnership is designed to tackle Nigeria’s digital divide and the country’s digital literacy deficit, which are major barriers to job creation and economic development.

Akin Ogunlade emphasized that the collaboration would leverage SBTS Group’s Intelligent Capacity Building Model (ICBM) and DBI’s reputation as Nigeria’s premier ICT capacity-building institution.

The partnership will focus on hands-on training, infrastructure upgrades, and the establishment of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hubs across DBI campuses.

“It will provide training, infrastructure upgrades, and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hubs across DBI campuses. These initiatives will empower millions of Nigerians with globally competitive hands-on skills and enhance the country’s participation in the global digital economy,” Ogunlade said. 

The partnership is also supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which projects that by 2030, over 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills, creating nearly 650 million training opportunities.

Ogunlade stressed the urgency of addressing Africa’s digital skills gap and highlighted the importance of this partnership in meeting that challenge.

“This summarises the importance of this initiative and the urgency required to bridge Africa’s digital skills gap,” Ogunlade stated. 

The initiative will focus on developing advanced digital and technical skills in thousands of Nigerians, followed by job placements both locally and internationally. It aims to create a sustainable pipeline of skilled professionals to address Nigeria’s digital skills gap.

The DBI-SBTS collaboration will include infrastructure upgrades, with renovations already underway at DBI campuses in Enugu and Kano, with plans for nationwide expansion. These upgrades will provide state-of-the-art facilities for advanced training programs.

“Renovation and upgrades have already commenced at DBI campuses, beginning with Enugu and Kano, with plans to extend nationwide,” David said. 

The partnership will also implement the ICBM framework, supporting the establishment of BPO centres and fostering an ecosystem for innovation and growth

Mr. Daser David, President of DBI emphasized that the partnership would also contribute to Nigeria’s position in the global outsourcing market.

“Our partnership with SBTS aligns with our mission to foster digital skills and transform lives. By integrating Nigeria’s youth population into the global technological workforce, we are laying the foundation for a thriving digital economy,” David remarked.  

The partnership will offer a campus-learning experience for trainees and is expected to position Nigeria as a global hub for skilled digital professionals. This initiative will drive technology adoption across sectors, foster innovation, and attract investments.

The partnership will offer a campus-learning experience for trainees and is expected to position Nigeria as a global hub for skilled digital professionals. This initiative will drive technology adoption across sectors, foster innovation, and attract investments.

Under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, several initiatives have been launched to equip Nigerian youths with digital skills