Nigeria’s First Lady officially commissioned a new Digital Learning Centre in Edo State yesterday, marking a major step in the state’s efforts to expand digital literacy and equip young people with technology skills for the 21st-century labour market. The centre — a public-private collaboration between the Edo State government and national partners — will offer free and subsidised courses in ICT fundamentals, coding, digital entrepreneurship, and soft skills targeted at students, recent graduates, and young entrepreneurs.
At the commissioning ceremony, the First Lady emphasised the importance of closing the digital skills gap and said the centre will operate as an inclusive hub accessible to women, persons with disabilities and underserved communities. She highlighted that the initiative complements national priorities to bridge digital divides and create employment through skills development, while also encouraging more women to participate in tech and innovation sectors.
State officials said the facility includes computer labs, a makerspace for practical projects, a small business incubation desk, and a calendar of short courses and hackathons. Training modules will be delivered in partnership with local universities, technology firms, and NGOs, and will feature mentorship components and internship placements with private-sector partners. The governor’s office added that the centre is part of a broader education and jobs strategy that seeks to link technical training directly to market opportunities, with an emphasis on local content and on-the-job exposure.
Community leaders and education stakeholders at the event hailed the centre as transformative, saying it will equip Edo youth with practical skills that improve employability and spur grassroots entrepreneurship. The First Lady urged donors and corporate supporters to sustain funding and expand the model to other parts of the state. Plans were also announced to hold quarterly outreach programmes to rural schools so that the benefits are not limited to urban areas.
