The federal government has revived its 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme with the opening of applications for its 5th cohort, making about ₦4 billion available to training organisations capable of equipping Nigerians with digital skills and connecting them to sustainable employment opportunities.
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Key Highlights
- FG has opened applications for 3MTT Cohort 5, with about ₦4 billion for training organisations.
- The deadline for applications is November 30, 2026.
- Payments are tied to four milestones, including fellows securing and keeping an economic opportunity for six months.
- Applicants must be registered training organisations able to train at least 100 fellows within six months.
- Applications are free; successful partners will be announced in December 2026, with training starting in January 2027.
The latest funding window signals a renewed push by the government to bridge Nigeria’s technical skills gap, promote entrepreneurship and ensure that beneficiaries of the programme can translate their training into measurable economic opportunities.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced the opening of the application process, describing the 3MTT Delivery Network as a coalition of organisations committed to developing proven technical skills and linking Nigerians with real economic opportunities.
The Cohort 5 funding is being supported by the European Union and Denmark through GIZ, HAUS and ESTDEV, alongside a grant from the MacArthur Foundation.
Interested organisations have until November 30, 2026, to submit their applications through the programme’s application portal.
How Payments Will Work
Under the new funding arrangement, payments will be tied to verified training and employment outcomes rather than being released as upfront grants.
Participating organisations will receive payments in stages based on four milestones: commencement of learning, successful completion of skills assessments, securing an economic opportunity and sustaining that opportunity for at least six months.
Qualifying opportunities include paid employment, internships, freelance engagements and businesses generating income above the national minimum wage.
The programme stressed that completing training alone would not qualify delivery partners for payment, as the emphasis is on ensuring that fellows acquire marketable skills and secure sustainable sources of income.
Who Can Apply For The ₦4bn Funding?
Eligible applicants must be registered training organisations operating in Nigeria. They can apply individually or as part of a consortium involving employers, other training institutions and local or international partners.
Applicants are required to provide evidence of Corporate Affairs Commission registration, previous teaching experience, information about their founders or directors, and details of a training programme delivered within the last 24 months.
Organisations must also demonstrate the capacity to train at least 100 fellows within six months.
Beyond funded participation, the government has created an Enabled Delivery Partner category for organisations and individual experts interested in contributing to the programme without receiving direct funding.
Members of this category will enjoy national recognition, access to the 3MTT Talent Operating System and National Talent Registry, and opportunities to contribute to shared training standards and credentials.
They will also have access to employer demand data, learning licences, credits and device financing, subject to eligibility.
The government has emphasised that applications are free and warned prospective applicants against paying individuals or organisations promising access to the delivery network.
Successful partners are expected to be announced in December 2026, with Cohort 5 training scheduled to begin in January 2027.
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3MTT Records 179,000 Trained Fellows
Launched in October 2023, the 3MTT initiative was designed to equip three million Nigerians with technical skills needed to strengthen the country’s digital economy and improve their competitiveness in the global labour market.
Figures published on the programme’s portal indicate that about 179,000 fellows have been trained across four cohorts and the DeepTech track, while more than 200 partner organisations have participated in delivering training.
The platform has also attracted over 1.8 million registrations, although the target of training three million Nigerians has now been extended to 2030.
The latest funding window builds on previous private-sector commitments to the initiative.
In December 2025, Tijani disclosed that three telecommunications companies had committed more than ₦6.45 billion to support the programme, with IHS pledging ₦2.5 billion, MTN committing ₦2.95 billion and Airtel contributing ₦1 billion.
The minister has linked the initiative to President Bola Tinubu’s ambition of growing Nigeria’s economy to $1 trillion, arguing that achieving the target would require a skilled workforce capable of meeting the demands of businesses locally and internationally.
Through the latest funding arrangement, the government is seeking to strengthen the connection between technical training, job creation and sustainable economic growth.
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