3MTT — Nigeria's 3 Million Technical Talent Programme

3MTT (3 Million Technical Talents) is a federal programme launched in November 2023 by Nigeria's Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, delivered through the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). It aims to train three million Nigerians in in-demand digital skills — software development, data, AI, cybersecurity and design — by 2027, positioning Nigeria as a net exporter of tech talent.

The programme has drawn more than 1.8 million applications from almost all of Nigeria's 774 local government areas. By October 2025 it had onboarded over 90,000 learners across its first three cohorts, delivered training through 200+ Applied Learning Centres nationwide, and reported more than 7,500 fellows placed into jobs through employer networks. Female participation stood at 35% against an internal 40% target. Amazon Web Services partners on cloud infrastructure and, per AWS's own account, has modelled an AI-supported learning-assistance approach that could cut per-learner support costs from roughly $25 to $2.60 a year, aimed at making the 3-million-learner target financially viable.

Independent tech outlet TechCabal's review of the first cohort found only 6,000 of the 31,270 selected fellows (19%) completed the programme, with an 11.2% job-placement rate and questions raised about whether a three-month course adequately prepares fellows for employment. At roughly $12 spent per fellow in cohort one against a training budget dwarfed by the eventual 3-million target, the programme's own reporting acknowledges job placement alone may understate — or overstate — its real workforce impact.

Read the full analysis: https://3mtt.nitda.gov.ng/