Tinubu, Mastercard Plan to Train 5M Nigerians in Digital Skills

President Bola Tinubu received a delegation from Mastercard led by global Chief Executive Officer Michael Miebach at the State House in Abuja to discuss a digital skills training programme. The initiative aims to equip five million Nigerians—particularly young people and small business operators—with technological competencies needed to participate in the global economy.

Tinubu described Nigeria's youth population as the nation's greatest asset and expressed confidence that the workforce possesses the capacity to integrate into international markets once equipped with the right digital tools. Miebach announced that Mastercard intends to channel $2 billion annually into Nigeria's economy through foreign exchange inflows.

The company also pledged to prevent approximately 200 million fraudulent financial transactions as part of its commitment to supporting the country's economic stability. The CEO stated that Mastercard's involvement aligns with the administration's broader economic reform agenda and reflects the company's long-standing presence in Nigeria.

The programme focuses on formalising Nigeria's substantial informal and small business sector by introducing technological systems and digital payment infrastructure. Tinubu noted that this transition would generate opportunities for investment, employment, and economic growth.

Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga confirmed the president's position that gradual business orientation towards technology adoption represents a key component of the economic repositioning strategy. The meeting reflects Tinubu's emphasis on leveraging Nigeria's demographic advantage to attract foreign investment.

Officials emphasised that foreign investors view the nation's young, tech-ready population as capable of easily adopting new systems and competing in global markets. The initiative represents one of several partnerships the administration has pursued to digitise the economy and strengthen Nigeria's position in international commerce.