The Federal Government has launched a major digital skills programme aimed at shifting Nigeria’s status from a consumer of foreign technology to a global supplier of homegrown digital solutions.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, alongside the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN, unveiled the Connect NextGen Innovation Hackathon and Ericsson Educate Programme on Tuesday at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
The initiative, delivered in partnership with Swedish telecommunications giant Ericsson, activates a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria and Ericsson to equip youth, policymakers, and public servants with expertise in emerging technologies.
Speaking on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Shettima said the four-month hackathon was designed to reposition Nigeria within the global digital economy.
“The Connect NextGen Innovation Hackathon is designed to deepen this reality—to make Nigeria a supplier of solutions to the world. A brilliant line of code written in Abuja can power a system in Stockholm; a solution imagined in Kano can transform a farm in Kenya,” the Vice President stated.
He said the initiative is central to the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises job creation and human capital development.
“This hackathon is not an isolated event; it is a continuation of a national strategy. The current wave of the Industrial Revolution—powered by 5G, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, IoT and sustainable technologies—is not a tide we can afford to watch from the shore.”
‘A Statement of Intent’
Minister Udeh described the launch as a deliberate declaration of Nigeria’s ambition to lead in technology creation, not consumption.
“Today is not merely the unveiling of two initiatives; it is a clear statement of intent. Nigeria is determined to transition from being a consumer of technology to becoming a creator of solutions, powered by the ingenuity of our people,” the Minister declared.
The National Hackathon will task developers, start-ups, and university students across the country with building scalable solutions for critical sectors, including healthcare, agriculture, education, climate resilience, public service delivery, and smart cities.
Udeh assured that the Ministry would support participants beyond the competition, providing pathways for commercialisation, research translation, and investment to convert ideas into sustainable enterprises.
Skills for 5G, AI Economy
Running alongside the hackathon is Ericsson Educate, a digital learning platform that will offer Nigerian youth and policymakers training in 5G technology, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data science, the Internet of Things (IoT), and other emerging fields.
Ericsson Nigeria’s Country Manager, Mr. Peter Olusoji Ogundele, said the initiative delivers on the 2024 MoU and reflects the company’s long-term commitment to Nigeria.
“With over 40 years of operations in Nigeria and nearly 150 years globally, Ericsson remains committed to empowering youths and policymakers, building trusted networks, and advancing a digital economy that leaves no one behind,” he said.
Ogundele added that the partnership also advances plans for a 5G Innovation Lab, knowledge transfer programmes, and strengthened innovation hubs across Nigerian institutions.
Sweden Hails Nigeria’s Innovation Space
Sweden’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Her Excellency Anna Westerholm, praised the collaboration, describing Nigeria as one of Africa’s most dynamic technology ecosystems.
She noted that the partnership demonstrates the effectiveness of public-private cooperation in accelerating national development.
The launch signals the Federal Government’s continued push to build an enabling environment through policy reforms, infrastructure investment, and strategic international alliances.