President Bola Tinubu on Thursday said Nigeria’s long-term prosperity depends on the creativity, innovation and determination of its citizens rather than its crude oil deposits.

Tinubu stated this at the 3MTT National Impact Summit held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, where he reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to developing a globally competitive digital workforce.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume, the President said the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Programme remained a central pillar of the Renewed Hope Agenda, targeting the transformation of Nigeria into a trillion-dollar economy driven by technology and productivity.

Tinubu said countries that lead in global economic growth were those that invested deliberately in the skills of their young population, noting that Nigeria was positioning itself for similar advancement through technology-driven development.

According to him, “Together, we are laying the foundation for a digital workforce that will power Nigeria’s next chapter of growth and shared prosperity. Nigeria’s most valuable resource is not oil or minerals, but the creativity, determination and potential of our people.”

He said digital competencies had become essential across critical sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, education and public administration, adding that Nigeria was gradually shifting from being a consumer of technology to a creator and exporter of talent and digital solutions.

Tinubu said the 3MTT programme had recorded significant nationwide progress since its launch, attracting more than 1.8 million applications from all local government areas. He said the initiative had also supported job creation, start-up formation and the development of digital solutions across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He commended the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy for effectively coordinating the programme, and acknowledged the contributions of private sector and development partners such as IHS Towers, MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Google, Microsoft, Huawei, Moniepoint, UNDP and the European Union.

The President said the programme was designed to scale sustainably across multiple cohorts, adding that its continued success required collaboration among government institutions, industry stakeholders and development partners.

He assured young Nigerians of the government’s commitment to providing credible and functional pathways to employment, saying: “Through initiatives like 3MTT, we are building genuine platforms for progress, not ceremonial commitments.”

Tinubu said the Federal Government was working towards building a Nigeria powered by skilled hands, innovative thinking and a generation of citizens ready to contribute to national and global development.

He added that the programme had renewed confidence among young people that they had a place in the global digital economy and could shape their future using the skills they acquire.

The 3MTT initiative, launched in 2023, is the Federal Government’s flagship digital-skills pipeline aimed at training and placing three million Nigerians in market-ready technology roles through community-based learning hubs and online training platforms.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijjani, said the programme was designed to expand Nigeria’s digital workforce, strengthen productivity, and establish the country as a net exporter of technology talent.

He said the training covers several tracks, including software engineering, data analysis and data science, product management, UI/UX design, cloud computing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning, Devops, game development and Iot.

Tijjani added that the programme operates a fellows-and-facilitators model with industry-aligned curricula and multiple pathways to work, including internships, apprenticeships and job-matching partnerships.