The Federal Government has opened applications for organisations and individual technical experts to join the delivery network of its 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, with about ₦4 billion earmarked to support verified outcomes in the programme’s fifth and sixth cohorts.
The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy says the 3MTT Delivery Network will bring together organisations and experts who provide technical training, with the aim of widening access to digital skills and linking participants to jobs, freelance work and business opportunities. The move is part of efforts to align skills development with what the labour market demands.
The money will be paid under a results-based financing model, in which support depends on verified outcomes and not on how many people are trained. The ministry said this should push training providers to respond to real industry demand and prepare participants for identifiable opportunities.
According to a statement from Isime Esene, special assistant on media and communications to the minister, Cohort 5 will be supported by the European Union and Denmark through the GIZ Digital Transformation Centre Nigeria, HAUS and ESTDEV, with a further grant from the MacArthur Foundation through Blue Sapphire Hub.
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Organisations admitted to the network will be classed as either Enabled Delivery Partners or Funded Delivery Partners.
Funded Delivery Partners are organisations that can show existing talent needs, either in their own operations or for clients. They can train fellows for those roles, help select candidates and receive financing based on verified results.
Enabled Delivery Partners include organisations and individual experts involved in technical training, whether or not they run physical training centres. They get access to the 3MTT Talent Operating System, the National Talent Registry, information on skills employers want, device financing opportunities and other resources from programme partners, subject to eligibility.
Membership of the network does not automatically guarantee funding.
What the minister and the EU said
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said reaching three million technical talents requires “a delivery ecosystem that is responsive to industry demand, accessible across communities and built to scale.” He said the programme was strengthening the path from skills to employment by directing support to demonstrated demand and measurable results.
Massimo De Luca, head of cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said the EU was backing government efforts to turn the country’s young population into a skilled workforce with access to jobs. He said the network would help build a system that steers funding towards measurable results and connects trained Nigerians with work.
Where the programme stands
The ministry says more than 1.8 million Nigerians have registered on the 3MTT platform since the programme launched in 2023, and 179,000 fellows have been trained across four cohorts and the DeepTech programme. It has reached more than 300,000 people through its wider community resources, with over 200 partner organisations involved across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
How to apply
Organisations and individual experts in Nigeria and abroad can apply to join the network at delivery.3mtt.gov.ng. Organisations seeking Cohort 5 funding must apply on their own or as part of a consortium led by an organisation registered and operating in Nigeria.
Funding applications for Cohort 5 close on November 30 at 11:59 p.m. West Africa Time. General membership applications stay open, and reviews are conducted quarterly.
