FG partners with WEMA Bank to establish 7 state-wide SMEs tech hubs.

The Federal Government, through the Office of the Vice President, is getting ready to launch a digital hub that will equip 1 million young people across the nation with digital and related skills. This is in keeping with the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s goal of increasing the number of digital jobs available for young Nigerians.

Following a recent meeting in Abuja between bank representatives and Vice President Kashim Shettima, an arrangement for the project was made.

The FGN/ALAT Digital and SkillNnovation Hub centers will officially open in the states of Lagos and Borno first, with Katsina, Cross River, Anambra, Oyo, and Kano following. They will be managed in collaboration with WEMA Bank, one of Nigeria’s top financial institutions.

Targets 1 million youths, 500,000 MSMEs with grants, digital training

The program’s strategic goals include: empowering young entrepreneurs by offering them specialized financial solutions, training, and assistance so they may establish long-lasting firms that will promote the expansion of Nigeria’s economy.

Other goals include empowering young workers to become an essential component of Nigeria’s workforce, especially those deployed through the NYSC, and supporting tech-savvy youths who have a keen interest in digital innovations and aspire to drive technological advancements.

Targeted at tech-savvy adolescents and young entrepreneurs in Nigeria, the FGN/ALAT Digital and SkillNnovation Hub is designed to act as a centralized platform for delivering cutting-edge digital skills, mentorship, and networking opportunities.

The emphasis is on encouraging entrepreneurship, skill development, and young workers’ integration into the workforce, with a specific focus on placing one million adolescents to work in the digital economy and upskilling SMEs that can directly boost the national economy.

Using a specific curriculum created for the FGN/ALAT Digital and SkillNnovation Hub, 1 million young adults will receive training in software engineering, product management, business analysis, cloud computing, and product design.

In the mentorship program, 500,000 SMEs in Nigeria will receive professional mentoring, while coaches will train and upskill them for rapid company expansion.

The Federal Government and WEMA Bank will work together to implement the program, providing subsidies totaling N500 million to SMEs and IT entrepreneurs.