The Federal Government of Nigeria, in partnership with Conclase Consulting Limited (through its subsidiary StacStart), is rolling out an 18-week skills training programme targeting 50,000 young people in seven North-West states: Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, and Zamfara. The initiative covers 186 local government areas and forms part of the broader Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme.
Programme Scope and Curriculum
Participants will progress through foundational, intermediate, and advanced levels after registration and screening. Training combines technical instruction with employability skills, mentorship, and certification. It also includes pathways to internships and job placements or support for starting businesses.
Digital and creative skills covered include:
· Artificial intelligence and machine learning
· Cybersecurity
· Cloud engineering
· Software engineering
· Data analytics
· UI/UX design
· 3D animation
· Content creation
· Social media management
· Graphic design
Vocational skills include fashion design, culinary arts, and food production.
The programme prioritises inclusion: it targets 50% female participation and includes young people not in employment, education, or training (NEET) as well as persons with disabilities. It is designed for ages 15–35.
Context Within iDICE
iDICE is a major Federal Government flagship initiative valued at around $617–618 million co-financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the Bank of Industry (BOI), which serves as executing agency. The overall Skills-to-Jobs component aims to train 300,000 young Nigerians nationwide thats roughly 50,000 per geopolitical zone and link at least 80% of graduates to employment opportunities in the digital, creative, and related sectors.
Conclase/StacStart is the implementing partner specifically for the North-West. Similar zonal partners handle other regions. Officials emphasise a “skills-to-jobs” approach rather than training in isolation. Adeposi Bamiduro, CEO of Conclase Consulting and StacStart, stated that the focus is on equipping participants with practical skills and connecting them to sustainable careers and livelihoods. Programme Director Abudu Damilola reinforced that the goal is translating skills into meaningful economic opportunities.
Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris has linked such efforts to the broader “Hire from Nigeria” push, which positions Nigerian talent as a core national asset for global economic engagement.
Why This Matters
Nigeria faces high youth unemployment and underemployment alongside a large, young population. Parallel government efforts include large-scale Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes (hundreds of thousands of trainees receiving stipends and starter packs across thousands of centres) and the Digital Training Academy targeting tens of thousands with global certifications in AI, cybersecurity, cloud, and related fields via platforms such as Coursera.
The North-West focus under iDICE addresses regional needs while contributing to national digital economy goals, remote work potential, entrepreneurship, and inclusive growth. Early activity has included stakeholder engagement (for example, with Northwest University, Sokoto) and applications, with reports of significant registration interest in some states.
Success will depend on effective screening, quality delivery across a wide geographic footprint, strong mentorship and placement linkages, and measurable job or business outcomes. The programme’s emphasis on progression through skill levels, gender and disability inclusion, and direct connection to opportunities distinguishes it from purely certification-focused efforts.
This partnership represents a concrete step in the Federal Government’s push to equip young Nigerians with market-relevant digital and vocational capabilities at scale, particularly in the North-West, as part of a larger national skills-to-jobs architecture. Eligible youths in the seven states should monitor official iDICE and StacStart channels for application details and timelines.
