The Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) has sealed a transformative partnership with a United States-based SBTS Group LLC, to equip Nigerian youth with relevant digital skills for global competitiveness.
The partnership between the DBI and SBTS was essentially designed to address Nigeria’s digital divide, and digital literacy deficit and drive job creation opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths within and outside the country.
Described as a milestone for Nigeria’s digital future, the groundbreaking collaboration would leverage the SBTS Group’s Intelligent Capacity Building Model (ICBM), and the DBI’s reputation as Nigeria’s premier ICT capacity-building institute to provide training, infrastructure upgrades, and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hubs across DBI campuses.
These initiatives is targeted at empowering millions of Nigerians with globally competitive hands-on skills and enhancing the country’s participation in the global digital economy.
Quoting the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Head, Public Affairs of DBI, Akin Ogunlade in a statement on Friday in Abuja, noted that over 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa would require digital skills by 2030, thus creating nearly 650 million training opportunities.
According to DBI, the digital need summarizes the importance of the initiative and the urgency required to bridge Africa’s digital skills gap thus, the partnership would focus on skill development and employment, which would involve training of thousands of Nigerians in advanced digital and technical skills; providing job placements locally and internationally for trained individuals; and develop a robust pipeline of skilled professionals to bridge Nigeria’s digital skills gap.
It would also be focused on infrastructure upgrades and resource centres, with the establishment of BPO hubs and tech resource centres in Lagos, Enugu, Kano, and other DBI campuses. More importantly, the initiative would provide a campus learning experience for the trainees.
President/CEO of DBI, Daser David, explained that the partnership would boost Nigeria’s role in the global outsourcing market by creating high-value job opportunities.
David emphasized that the initiative aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, prioritizing human capital development, job creation, and socio-economic transformation, adding that the efforts would definitely accelerate the Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to him, the partnership would support the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative of the Ministry of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, spearheaded by the Minister, Dr. Bosun Tijani; to position Nigeria as a leading exporter of digital talent.
He said: “Our partnership with SBTS aligns with our mission to foster digital skills and transform lives. By integrating Nigeria’s youth into the global technological workforce, we are laying the foundation for a thriving digital economy.”
While stating Nigeria’s readiness to lead the digital transformation in the African continent, the DBI President further explained that many of these opportunities would require intermediate and advanced technical skills beyond basic digital literacy; adding that the DBI-SBTS collaboration directly addresses these challenges by creating a sustainable framework for skill development.
David revealed that the renovation and upgrades have commenced at DBI campuses, beginning with Enugu and Kano, with plans to extend nationwide, adding that the improvements would create state-of-the-art facilities for delivering cutting-edge training programs.
The partnership would also implement the ICBM framework, enabling DBI to offer advanced digital skills training, support the establishment of BPO centres, and create an ecosystem for innovation and growth.
David hinted that the initiative is basically to empower Nigeria’s Youth and the Economy: He said:
“This collaboration is a game-changer for Nigeria’s economy. By equipping job seekers with digital skills, the initiative enhances their employability and contributes to national development.
The integration of digital talent into various sectors is expected to spur innovation, attract investments, and position Nigeria as a global hub for skilled digital professionals.”
The CEO of SBTS Group, Evelyn Lewis, also emphasized the partnership’s urgency in launching Nigeria to the global digital space for the millions of Nigerian youth to take advantage.
He said; “Africa’s digital skills gap is a barrier to growth. By collaborating with DBI, we aim to close this gap, create jobs, and accelerate technology adoption, boosting productivity across sectors.”
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