DBI partners US firm to promote digital skills

The Digital Bridge Institute has announced a new partnership with United States-based SBTS Group LLC to bridge Nigeria’s digital skills gap and create thousands of job opportunities within and outside the country.

The disclosure was made in a statement on Monday, which outlined the goals of the collaboration to equip Nigerian youth with essential digital skills for global competitiveness.

The partnership aims to address Nigeria’s digital divide, digital literacy deficit, and drive job creation, leveraging SBTS Group’s Intelligent Capacity Building Model and DBI’s reputation as Nigeria’s premier ICT capacity-building institute.

The initiative will provide training, infrastructure upgrades, and Business Process Outsourcing hubs across DBI campuses.

These efforts, according to the statement, will empower millions of Nigerians with globally competitive hands-on skills, enhancing Nigeria’s participation in the global digital economy.

The International Finance Corporation has projected that over 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030, creating nearly 650 million training opportunities.

This underscores the importance and urgency of the initiative. The partnership will focus on skill development and employment by training thousands of Nigerians in advanced digital and technical skills, providing job placements locally and internationally for the trained individuals, and developing a robust pipeline of skilled professionals to bridge Nigeria’s digital skills gap.

It will also involve infrastructure upgrades, with the establishment of hubs and tech resource centers in Lagos, Enugu, Kano, and other DBI campuses, offering a campus-learning experience for the trainees.

According to the President of DBI, Daser David, the partnership would boost Nigeria’s role in the global outsourcing market by creating high-value job opportunities.

The DBI President emphasized that the initiative aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, prioritising human capital development, job creation, and socio-economic transformation, adding that the efforts would definitely accelerate the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Besides, he said the partnership would support the 3 Million Technical Talent 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.

While highlighting the DBI’s dedication to bridging Nigeria’s digital divide, David 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.”

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 of.

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.”