Nigeria’s government has signed a deal with U.S. tech giant Microsoft to train five million people on digital technologies. The agreement was signed Wednesday on the sidelines of a cyber-showcase in Dubai. Microsoft representatives said the company was ready to partner with the Nigerian government to offer young people “economic opportunities”. Microsoft and the government talked for over a year about the project.
Nigeria has the largest economy in Africa and is the most populous country. It has a mostly younger population, over 200 million. But unemployment is high, and the education sector is struggling. As a result, the government is trying to get the economy to focus on digital.
Prof. Pantami also said Nigeria would continue to ensure that the regulatory environment is an “enabling environment” for Microsoft and others to do business in the country while guaranteeing regulatory measures are “developing and responsive”.