{
  "id": 6493947,
  "title": "FG selects 16,000 for inaugural digital academy cohort",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/fg-selects-16-000-for-inaugural-digital-academy-cohort",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T23:20:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/fg-selects-16000-for-inaugural-digital-academy-cohort/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Federal Government in Nigeria has announced plans to establish a digital training academy with an inaugural cohort of 16,000 Nigerians, as part of efforts to equip young people with globally recognized digital skills. The National Coordinator for Special Projects and Innovation Unit in the Federal Ministry of Education, Adebayo Onibanjo, disclosed this during a media briefing ahead of the national launch of the academy, scheduled for September 14, 2026. The programme, which attracted 72,850 applications from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory between August 17 and September 1, 2026, required applicants to meet a qualifying benchmark, of which 19,699 were successful. The academy, a free initiative backed by the Federal Government, will provide training and globally recognized certifications through international learning platforms, such as Coursera and Pluralsight. Onibanjo emphasized that the academy aligns with President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda and will complement existing digital skills development investments. The inaugural cohort will be delivered through the selected online platforms, with the government planning to expand the academy's offerings in subsequent cohorts.",
  "summary": "The Federal Government’s new digital academy has selected 16,000 Nigerians for its first cohort, offering free training to boost digital skills for the eco Read More: https://punchng.com/fg-selects-16000-for-inaugural-digital-academy-cohort/",
  "key_points": [
    "Federal Government plans to establish digital training academy with 16,000 inaugural cohort.",
    "Academy to equip young Nigerians with globally recognized digital skills.",
    "Programme attracted 72,850 applications, 19,699 qualified for the inaugural cohort."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}