Scaling Africa's Digital Workforce

Africa is entering the period in which its demographic future and the future of work arrive together. More than twelve million young Africans enter the labour market every year, into economies that create about three million formal jobs, while artificial intelligence changes what work is and where it gets done. Everybody describes Africa's young people as an asset but almost nobody is financing them like one. This session brings together ministers, development partners, investors, employers and technology leaders to examine what it takes to move Africa's digital talent from training at scale to productive work at scale, and what it costs to do so. It opens with a fireside conversation on financing African talent against employer demand. A panel of ministers, regional institutions and Nigeria's own agencies then examines what moves talent from training to productive work across the continent. The session closes with a spotlight on the Digital Talent Fund, the permanent endowment Nigeria has designed to finance its digital workforce and closing remarks from the Honourable Minister, Dr 'Bosun Tijani. Nigeria's 3 Million Technical Talent programme, which has onboarded more than 165,000 fellows across every state and the Federal Capital Territory, is the national case at the centre of the conversation. The session is followed by networking cocktails from 6:00 PM for speakers, investors, development partners, technology leaders, government representatives and members of the African and Nigerian diaspora. Please note: registration does not guarantee entry. Capacity is limited and participation is subject to confirmation. Hosted by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Federal Republic of Nigeria.