In a major push to develop Nigeria’s digital workforce, Darey.io and XTERNS.ai have inaugurated a cutting-edge tech hub in Yaba, Lagos, aimed at equipping tech enthusiasts and entrepreneurs with world-class digital skills.
The hub, launched in collaboration with the federal government’s Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative, seeks to bridge the skills gap and position Nigerian talent for global opportunities. With over 100,000 learners already engaged, the initiative adopts a Proof-of-Skills Hiring model to fast-track employment and drive the country’s digital economy forward.
Speaking at the launch, the technical adviser to the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Francis Sani, emphasized Nigeria’s demographic advantage, noting that the country has Africa’s largest youth population, with a median age of 16. However, he highlighted that access to quality training and employment pathways remains a critical challenge. To address this, the XTERNS Hub aims to connect learning to earning, ensuring graduates not only receive training but are seamlessly integrated into the workforce.
Dare Olufunmilayo, founder of Darey.io, stated that the initiative eliminates the traditional waiting period for employment, as learners gain real-world experience and demonstrate competence before stepping into job interviews.
According to him, thousands of Nigerians have already launched successful tech careers through Darey.io, securing positions with top global firms and founding startups. He noted that XTERNS.ai represents a bold new step in integrating talent directly into the workforce, underscoring the need for innovation and collaboration in building Nigeria’s digital future.
Despite the progress, infrastructure and hardware accessibility remain key challenges. Nigeria currently has 35,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable, but a $2 billion broadband expansion project aims to increase coverage by an additional 90,000 kilometers in two years, boosting nationwide internet penetration.
Meanwhile, many aspiring tech professionals struggle to afford laptops, which now cost an average of ₦500,000. In response, Darey.io is launching the Dare Olufunmilayo Human Capital Foundation to provide laptops and stipends for learners, while calling on the private sector to support the initiative.
As artificial intelligence reshapes the global economy, industry leaders stress the urgency for Nigeria to transition from being a technology consumer to a creator. Olufunmilayo and Sani emphasized that Nigeria must embrace AI-driven, project-based learning to prepare for the next industrial revolution.
With 5,000 learners trained in four years and a growing talent pipeline of over 100,000, Darey.io and XTERNS.ai are rapidly scaling operations to meet their ambitious target of training three million professionals. “Nigeria has the talent, ambition, and now, the infrastructure—this is our moment,” Sani declared.