Nigeria’s Digital Expansion Hinges on Workforce Health and Specialised Tech Training
Nigerian regulators warned that the country’s digital economy ambitions will stall without parallel corporate investments in specialised technology training and preventive employee healthcare.
Nigeria’s push to build a globally competitive digital economy requires immediate parallel investments in specialised technology talent and preventive workforce healthcare, top regulators warned. Speaking at the 14th Annual CEO Forum Nigeria 2026, officials stressed that technology infrastructure alone cannot deliver shared economic prosperity.
For multinational investors and domestic employers, this signals a shifting operational landscape. Companies expanding in Africa’s largest economy must now factor workforce wellness and sector-specific digital training into their long-term capital allocation strategies to maintain productivity.
Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission, highlighted the urgent need for a stronger pipeline of specialised technology talent. While federal programmes like the Three Million Technical Talent initiative are expanding baseline digital capabilities, Maida noted that deeper, sector-specific training is required to support emerging innovations.
“We have established institutes that we are trying to revive because the industry needs specialised skills that can drive innovation,” Maida stated. He characterised the current phase as a transitional transformation where organisational structures and work methods must adapt to new technologies.
The NCC chief emphasised that telecommunications now serves as the digital backbone for healthcare, finance, manufacturing and government services. Consequently, he argued for a whole-of-government approach, noting that technology policy can no longer operate in isolation from national productivity goals.
On the healthcare front, Kelechi Ohiri, director-general and CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority, urged employers to reframe workplace health as a core productivity strategy. He argued that the traditional model of treating illness only after it occurs is being replaced by preventive care and broader health insurance coverage.
“It is not simply an expense; it is an investment,” Ohiri said, describing employee health as a mechanism to improve workforce efficiency and curb long-term medical costs. He advised organisations to actively enrol staff in health insurance while funding wellness initiatives.
Ohiri also pointed to the rising economic burden of non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular conditions. He called for public policy interventions, such as measures to reduce excessive sugar consumption, alongside corporate integration of mental health support to address overlooked aspects of workforce productivity.
