Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, says the Federal Government is building clear job pathways for the Three Million Technical Talents (3MTTs) beneficiaries.

Tijani spoke on Friday during a guest appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he addressed concerns about whether the training programme leads to real employment.

The minister said the initiative focuses on skills and structured placement, noting that technology careers require more than classroom learning.

“We actually have a dedicated team that is focused on placement. What we’ve realised in technology is that it’s one thing to spend six months learning; it’s another thing to be ready for the jobs out there,” he said.

Tijani explained that the ministry created a placement pathway that moves trainees into internship positions within technology companies.

“We’ve actually created a programme that puts these folks into internship positions in some of the technology companies.

“In cases where companies say, ‘We don’t need interns because we don’t want to pay them; they won’t add value immediately,’ we secured the support of the EU and UNDP through the Jubilee Fellowship Programme to pay their salaries for one year,” he said.

He stated that the initiative had supported nearly 3,000 interns and helped place over 15,000 trainees overall.

“We know the number is small, but we keep polishing these people,” he said.

The minister added that the government was expanding global job opportunities for trainees.

“Many foreign companies want Nigerian talent to work locally,” he revealed.

He also explained that the ministry was signing BPO partners who match trainees with remote roles.

Tijani said President Tinubu conceived the 3MTT programme to widen the digital sector and close Nigeria’s skill gap.

He explained that rising digital innovation also influenced the programme’s design. (Channels)