About three million micro, small and medium enterprises in Nigeria will benefit from the Skillnovation Programme launched by the President Bola Tinubu administration on Friday.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima said the initiative that will provide over three million Nigerians with essential digital skills required to succeed in the global economy. 

According to the Vice President, the programme was launched a bid to support information technology revolution that would, in turn, extend the reach of economic and social interactions as well as enhance productivity growth in Nigeria.

The Skillnovation Programme will establish 15 state-of-the-art ICT centres, strategically placed across Nigeria, to provide individuals and businesses alike with access to cutting-edge digital training, resources, and support.

The first phase of the programme will focus on the states of Katsina, Anambra, Borno, Lagos, Oyo, and Kano, while the second phase will include Delta, Kaduna, Ogun, Bauchi, Kwara, and Ekiti States.

Speaking during the launch of the programme at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Vice President described the Skillnovation as a “transformative initiative” that “ushers in a new era of digital empowerment for” Nigerians.

He said: “We are compelled to tread this path by the direction in which the world has headed, a world of disruptive technologies redefined by the fourth Industrial Revolution.

“This initiative is a response to the evolution of the modern business environment, an acknowledgment that digital skills have become the cornerstone of economic ease and expansion.”

The Vice President, in a statement by his spokeman, Stanley Nkwocha, hinted that the gathering was one of the many to come and an occasion to reassure the nation that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was fully committed to supporting small businesses across Nigeria.

Giving an insight into how the country would benefit from the programme, Vice President said: “Nigeria, with its expanding MSME sector of close to 40 million, has the potential to lead business innovation beyond Africa. The Skillnovation Programme, therefore, aims to unlock this immense potential. The initiative is designed to provide the necessary tools and skills for our MSMEs to thrive and compete on the global stage.

“As you have witnessed, ladies and gentlemen, the Skillnovation Programme is not a mere promise; it is a resounding commitment to the Nigerian people,” the Vice President added.

“It’s in pursuit of this administration’s resolve to empower our youth and MSMEs and to create a more inclusive and prosperous Nigeria. Today, we are translating that commitment into action, and we intend to be your allies in your race to take over the world through your enhanced skills.”