Two Million Youths to Be Trained in Wema Bank-FG Digital Programme

Wema Bank has announced the launch of the second cohort of the FGN-ALAT Digital Skillnovation Programme to train and equip 2,000,000 youths in 1,000,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across Nigeria with advanced, relevant and highly demanded digital skills for sustainable success in the current digital-driven world.

The initiative, spearheaded by Wema Bank was in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria and the training would commence in Borno and Anambra states at the beginning of Cohort 2.
According to a statement yesterday by the bank, since the launch of the first Cohort in 2023, over 300,000 Nigerian youth and business owners have leveraged the platform as a launch pad for their business and career success.
“This unique Cohort featured 100 per cent virtual learning sessions through which participants from the 36 states were provided with self-paced online learning experiences.

“As Cohort 2 begins in the second quarter of 2024, the FGN-ALAT Digital Skillnovation Programme is officially transitioning to Physical Training Sessions and the curriculum will cover key digital skills including software engineering, product management, business analysis, cloud computing and product design, among others.”

The statement added that the second phase would be carried out via FGN-ALAT Digital Hubs, which will be set up in the different states across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria to ensure that every Nigerian can access the programme’s full benefits regardless of their location.
 “These hubs will be equipped with cutting-edge training and incubation facilities ideal for advanced and ultra-modern digital-driven learning, allowing participants to acquire marketable and transferrable digital skills in state-of-the-art learning spaces within their reach, and gain a competitive edge in the global digital ecosystem.

Wema Bank’s Executive Director of Retail and Digital Business, Tunde Mabawonku, stressed the role of the programme in bridging the gaps in Nigeria’s macroeconomic landscape towards national development.

“We are unwavering in our commitment to supporting MSMEs and with the FGN-ALAT Digital Skillnovation Programme, it’s all about the bigger picture—which is why we have partnered with the government to augment the scale of the programme’s impact.

“By tailoring this programme to suit the needs of both entrepreneurial-minded and professionally inclined Nigerians, we are not just arming SMEs for more efficient business management and growth, we are also equipping Nigeria’s workforce for increased productivity and the ripple effect will not only create more viable employment opportunities for Nigerians towards reduced unemployment and underemployment rates, but further drive economic growth and national development, boosting Nigeria’s position on the global playing field,” he said.