The Federal Government has opened applications for organisations and individual experts to join the delivery network of its Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme.
The Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy announced the development on Wednesday in Abuja, saying N4 billion in partner funding had been earmarked to support verified outcomes in Cohorts 5 and 6.
The Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the Minister, Mr Isime Esene, disclosed this in a statement.
He said the 3MTT Delivery Network would bring together organisations and individual experts capable of training Nigerians in digital and technical skills.
“Working with 3MTT, they help more Nigerians gain the skills employers need and move into jobs, freelance work or their own businesses,” he said.
Esene said Cohort 5 was funded by the European Union and Denmark through GIZ Digital Transformation Centre Nigeria, HAUS and ESTDEV.
He added that the programme had also received a grant from the MacArthur Foundation through Blue Sapphire Hub.
According to him, the support advances a demand-led, results-based model that links technical skills development to evidenced opportunities and funding to verified outcomes.
He said Cohort 5 builds on lessons from previous cohorts by shifting the programme’s focus from expanding training numbers to meeting demonstrable industry demand.
Esene recalled that more than 1.8 million Nigerians had registered on the 3MTT platform since 2023.
He said 179,000 fellows had been trained across four cohorts and the DeepTech programme.
He added that more than 300,000 Nigerians had benefited from the programme through its wider community resources and opportunities.
The programme, he said, had been implemented with more than 200 partner organisations across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Esene said the ministry was also inviting employers, funders, technology companies, state governments and research organisations to join the wider 3MTT Partner Network.
He said applications were open to organisations and individual experts in Nigeria and abroad at delivery.3mtt.gov.ng.
He added that Cohort 5 funding applications could be submitted individually or through consortia led by organisations registered and operating in Nigeria.
The deadline for funding applications is 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 30.
Membership of the delivery network, however, will remain open, with applications reviewed quarterly.
Esene said applications would undergo a membership review, with successful applicants admitted as Enabled Delivery Partners or selected as Funded Delivery Partners under Cohort 5.
He said the two categories would expand training capacity, address industry talent needs and create inclusive opportunities for organisations contributing to Nigeria’s digital workforce.
The Minister, Dr Bosun Tijani, said achieving the three-million target required a delivery ecosystem that was responsive to industry demand, accessible across communities and capable of scaling.
He described Cohort 5 as an important milestone in that direction.
“By tying our support to verified demand and real results, we are strengthening the connection between skills, jobs and economic opportunity,” Tijani said.
He added that the approach would strengthen Nigeria’s talent pipeline and improve its competitiveness in the global digital economy.
The Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca, said young Nigerians were among the country’s greatest assets.
He said the EU was proud to support the Nigerian Government in translating their talents into employment opportunities.
De Luca said the delivery network would help establish national infrastructure that funded verified outcomes rather than training alone.
“Through the Global Gateway, the EU is building ambitious partnerships designed to grow, and this is just the beginning,” he said.
