By Efe Onodjae
In a bid to bridge the gaps in Nigeria’s digital economy, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Darey,io, Dare Oluwafunmilayo, has unveiled a comprehensive plan to empower over three million Nigerians with essential skills.
The initiative, which focuses on strategic partnerships and infrastructure development, aims to address the challenges hindering the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.
He disclosed this at the opening of Dare.io / XTERNS tech Hub in Yaba, Lagos State, weekend. He explained that the physical tech hub, was designed to provide a collaborative environment where young Nigerians could acquire and hone crucial digital skills, thereby empowering them for success in the rapidly evolving technology landscape.
He said, “Our aim is to offer young people a platform to gain skills, network with professionals, and build a pipeline of talent for the digital economy.”
Speaking on their 3MTT partnership, he said the goal was to train three million technical talents using digital tools to track progress and provide career metrics.
Olufunmilayo noted that over 5,000 people had been trained in four years and six months, with 100,000 more currently enrolled through the 3MTT programme.
The training, according to him, would be offered for free due to the 3MTT’s support, underlining the importance of public-private collaboration for economic advancement. He also emphasized soft skills, stating that technical expertise alone would not ensure employment.
To further empower youth, he announced the launch of the Dare Olufunmilayo Human Capital Foundation.
He said “ “The foundation aims to partner with organizations to provide laptops and stipends, supporting talented individuals and encouraging economic growth”.
While debunking the common misconception that one needs a formal degree in computer science to break into the tech space, the CEO explained that “Darey.io dismantles this barrier by offering a structured framework that equips learners with essential skills, hands-on experience, and industry-relevant knowledge, ensuring that individuals are job-ready, even without prior tech education”
Olufunmilayo further explained that a key motivation for many aspiring tech professionals was the ability to work remotely, stressing that Darey.io did not only enable skill acquisition but also “facilitates global employment opportunities. Through its innovative approach, individuals can work from Nigeria while securing jobs with international companies, thus contributing to the growing digital economy”.
Highlighting the role of digital skills, the Technical Adviser to the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Francis Sani, said Nigeria was ready to thrive in the digital economy.
Sani, who is also the Programme Director of 3MTT Nigeria, stressed that the ministry’s aim was to ensure every Nigerian could access technical training, regardless of financial or geographical barriers. According to him, the partnership with Darey.io would provide practical, AI-driven, project-based learning to enhance training quality and effectiveness.
He explained that the ministry’s approach centers on five pillars: “knowledge, policy, infrastructure, innovation and entrepreneurship, and trade, to spur national development”.
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