UAE and Nigeria Collaborate to Arm Over 7 Million Youth with Digital Literacy and Global Job Prospects
In a significant move towards equipping the next generation with the necessary tools for success in the rapidly evolving digital world, Nigeria has partnered with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to provide digital skills, entrepreneurship training, and international exposure to over 7 million Nigerian youth.
The initiative centres on the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), an ambitious project aimed at empowering Nigerian youth with digital literacy, civic leadership, startup skills, and entrepreneurship. The partnership, announced in July 2025, strengthens NiYA and positions it as a powerful platform for youth development.
Collaborative institutions in this venture include Nigeria's Ministry of Youth Development and the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa), a leading UAE innovation hub. This partnership will nurture talent and create global opportunities for Nigerian youth.
A key event arising from this partnership is the GITEX-powered National Digital Innovation Showcase, scheduled to take place from September 1–4, 2025. This major event will showcase 300 of the country’s top startups, offering them a platform to gain global market access and investment opportunities. The showcase, co-developed with Nigeria's National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), is expected to be a significant step towards integrating Nigerian startups into the global digital economy.
High-level engagements between the two nations have been instrumental in shaping this partnership. In July 2025, Nigeria's Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, led a delegation to the UAE, meeting with UAE’s Minister for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, Omar Al Olama. Discussions focused on strategic sectors crucial for youth employment and Nigeria’s digital transformation, such as AI education, business process outsourcing (BPO), startup incubation, and remote work.
The partnership supports Nigeria’s urgent need to develop digital proficiency. A World Bank report highlighted that by 2030, 35–45% of jobs in Nigeria will require digital skills, reinforcing the importance of large-scale training beyond core ICT roles to include foundational and intermediate digital capabilities across sectors.
This partnership aims to build bridges between Nigerian youth and global innovation ecosystems, positioning young Nigerians as active creators and entrepreneurs in the digital economy rather than just consumers. By fostering talent, creating meaningful impact, and providing international exposure, the initiative seeks to empower Nigerian youth to thrive in the digital age.
Sources:
[1] Nigerian Ministry of Youth Development. (2025). Partnership with UAE to Empower Nigerian Youth. Retrieved from https://youthdevelopment.gov.ng/partnership-with-uae-to-empower-nigerian-youth/
[2] World Bank Group. (2023). Nigeria Digital Skills Demand Report. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/nigeria-digital-skills-demand-report
[3] Sheraa. (2025). Collaboration with Nigeria's Ministry of Youth Development. Retrieved from https://www.sheraa.ae/news/collaboration-with-nigerias-ministry-of-youth-development/
[4] NITDA. (2025). National Digital Innovation Showcase. Retrieved from https://nitda.gov.ng/national-digital-innovation-showcase/
- The partnership between Nigeria's Ministry of Youth Development and the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa) will focus on providing technology-based education-and-self-development, startup ecosystem skills, and finance opportunities to young Nigerians, as part of the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA) empowerment program.
- The GITEX-powered National Digital Innovation Showcase will offer financing, global market access, and investment opportunities to 300 Nigerian technology startups, aiming to integrate them into the global digital ecosystem and stimulate the growth of the startup finance sector in the Nigerian technology space.
