Airtel Nigeria has pledged to train 25,000 Nigerian youth in technical skills as part of the government’s 3 Million Technical Talents (3MTT) programme.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, Airtel’s Founder and Chairman, announced the plan on Thursday during a high-level meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Airtel’s support will ensure that a minimum of 25,000 youth drawn from 80 local government areas benefit from this unprecedented project,” Femi Adeniran, director of Corporate Communications and CSR for Airtel Nigeria says.
Airtel: 25,000 youth to be drawn from 80 LGAs in Nigeria
The announcement came during a strategic meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja where Mittal, led a delegation of top executives to discuss collaborative opportunities with the Nigerian government aimed at strengthening the country’s digital economy.
“Airtel’s support will ensure that a minimum of 25,000 youth drawn from 80 local government areas benefit from this unprecedented project,” Femi Adeniran, director of Corporate Communications and CSR for Airtel Nigeria says.
The company is also expanding its educational commitments through the Airtel Africa Foundation.
“Additionally, Airtel presented to the President a scholarship for 10 Nigerian students to study science and technology-focused courses at the Plaksha University,” Airtel says in its statement.
These undergraduate scholarships are part of the newly-expanded Airtel Africa Fellowship, demonstrating the company’s commitment to nurturing future technology leaders in Nigeria.
President Tinubu, who has been pushing for private sector involvement in his administration’s digital economy agenda, stated “I am pro-business and I will continue to be that. I can give you that assurance,” during the meeting.
The President also signalled his readiness to reform the telecommunications regulatory framework to attract more investment. “The entire ecosystem will be further examined, and if there is anything we can copy from India, we are ready to do so. We are prepared to learn. We are not ashamed of copying what is working in other climes,” Tinubu says.
During the meeting, Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, confirmed that President Tinubu has approved the protection of fiber optic and undersea cables as critical national assets, a move expected to further stimulate growth in the telecommunications industry. “The Office of the National Security Adviser has started implementing and enforcing the law,” the Minister adds.
The 3MTT programme, launched by the Nigerian government in 2023, aims to develop three million technical talents by 2027, positioning Nigeria as a global hub for technology innovation and digital services. The programme focuses on developing skills in areas such as software development, data science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and other emerging technologies.
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