In a significant move aimed at bolstering Nigeria’s digital economy and empowering its future workforce, the Federal Ministry of Education has announced a landmark partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS). 

This collaboration aims to offer free digital skills training and certification to students and educators across tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The initiative aligns with the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to expand access to crucial 21st-century skills.

As stated on the Ministry’s official X (fka Twitter) account, the programme’s curriculum will focus on cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning. These foundational skills are vital for general technological advancement and keeping Nigeria in tune with the world in terms of digital competencies.

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The Ministry has confirmed that the implementation of this ambitious programme is already underway.

“Already live in 43 federal universities & polytechnics, the programme is expanding fast. Schools can now register coordinators to kickstart training. Don’t miss out, sign up now,” they said.

An attractive aspect for participants is that the certification is 100% free, with the costs being jointly covered by the Ministry and AWS.

To ensure the broadest possible reach and participation, the Ministry is actively encouraging school administrators to appoint dedicated programme coordinators. Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts of Private and State Tertiary Institutions are urged to submit the details of their nominated coordinators via an official Google Form. The deadline for submissions is 5 PM on Friday, 19th July 2025, emphasising the urgency and commitment behind this national upskilling effort. Required information for enrollment includes:

• Title and full name of the institution head
• Position (Vice Chancellor, Rector, or Provost)
• Name and type of the institution (State or Private)
• Institution address and WhatsApp phone number of the institution head
• Appointed Coordinator’s full name, designation/role, phone number, and email address

A look at AWS since coming to Nigeria

AWS established a physical presence in Nigeria with the opening of its Lagos office on the 4th of November, 2022. Their initial vision was to support the growing number of customers and partners in Nigeria.

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This local presence aimed to address the adoption of AWS services better, helping customers innovate, lower IT costs, and grow their organisations in the cloud. 

Beyond direct business support, AWS also actively engaged with the Nigerian start-up ecosystem and community through programmes like AWS Activate, AWS Academy, AWS Educate, and AWS re/Start, alongside fostering a vibrant local user group.

This foundational presence has since evolved into a deeper commitment to Nigeria’s digital future. During his visit to Lagos on June 5, 2025, Amazon CTO Werner Vogels announced plans to establish development centres across the continent, specifically highlighting Nigeria’s rich pool of skilled tech talent. 

These centres would be designed to harness local expertise to build, test, and scale software products for both local and global markets, reflecting Amazon’s strategy to, in Vogels’ words, “follow where the talent is.”

The initiative with the Federal Ministry of Education directly addresses AWS’s prediction that 45% of jobs in Nigeria will require digital skills by 2030. This underscores the tech giant’s evolving vision from direct business support to a broader, impactful role in national digital capacity building.