ABUJA, Dec. 18 (AGCNewsNet) – The Nigerian government, in partnership with Microsoft, has trained more than 350,000 Nigerians in artificial intelligence (AI) skills under the AI National Skills Initiative (AINSI), a programme designed to equip the workforce for a digital economy.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Abideen Yusuf, General Manager of Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana, emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to cultivating talent capable of driving innovation and economic growth. He noted that the initiative builds on a $1 million investment announced by Microsoft in February to provide AI skilling for one million Nigerians, reaffirming the company’s long-term commitment to developing a future-ready workforce.

According to Yusuf, AI is reshaping every sector of the economy, and countries that invest in skill development now will be best positioned to benefit. “Nigeria cannot afford to wait. We must equip people now, at scale and with intent,” he said, stressing the importance of timely investment in human capital to seize the opportunities offered by AI.

The initiative, implemented in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Data Science Nigeria, and Lagos Business School, has so far delivered training to over four million Nigerians, with the second phase targeting one million citizens over the next three years.

In addition, Microsoft AI Skills Week engaged more than 235,000 participants through workshops, strategy sessions, and an Agentic AI hackathon in partnership with VISA, TeKnowledge, UNICEF, Data Science Nigeria, and Lagos Business School. The hackathon showcased practical AI applications in document verification, risk assessment, and fraud detection, highlighting the transformative impact of AI across sectors such as fintech.

Yusuf noted that digital transformation requires collaboration between governments, educators, developers, and communities. “By building capacity for evidence-driven governance and responsible innovation, we are laying the foundation for a globally competitive workforce,” he said.

Looking ahead, Microsoft and the Nigerian government plan to expand AI and cybersecurity training further, strengthen developer pipelines, and broaden access to AI education to ensure Nigeria’s young population is prepared for the digital economy. Yusuf added that Nigeria is on track to capture 43 percent of Africa’s projected $136 billion AI-driven productivity gains by 2030.

“By equipping leaders, developers, and tech users, we’re building a future-ready workforce and maximizing the potential of AI across the nation,” he concluded.

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