Massive Investment In IT-driven Skills Will Curb Nigeria’s Unemployment – Aptech

In its 25 years of operations in Nigeria, Aptech has become one of the world’s major players in vocational and technology-driven education. It has empowered its 100,000 youths with information technology (IT) skills at local and international levels.

Consequently, it has appealed to the Nigerian government and other critical stakeholders to invest massively in globally competitive skills in information technology, multimedia and animation to curb the growing unemployment among the country’s youths.

To enable more Nigerians to benefit from its services, the company has unveiled a plan to increase its training centres nationwide from 60 to 100.
At the international level, Aptech has partnered with Middlesex University to allow its graduates to complete their bachelor’s degrees in the United Kingdom within one year.

Aptech reiterated its unwavering commitment to equipping Nigerian youths with new information technology, multimedia and animation skills.

Top company officials made these revelations at the 17th edition of its flagship educational enlightenment event, Career Quest, held in Abuja on Monday to mark the 25th anniversary of Aptech’s operations in Nigeria.

In his address, the managing director/CEO of Aptech Nigeria, Mr. Rajeev Venugopal, reflected on the organisation’s journey and its transformative impact on Nigeria’s education and employment landscape.
He said, “We started this mission in 2000, as Nigeria entered a new millennium. Back then, I saw that many young Nigerians, despite holding degrees, struggled to find meaningful employment. That was the moment I realised something had to change.”

Venugopal noted that this realisation led to a strategic partnership with Aptech Global, one of the world’s renowned IT training institutions.

According to him, the collaboration led to the birth of the first Aptech centre in Maryland, Lagos, which has since evolved into a nationwide network that has trained and empowered over 100,000 Nigerian youths.

“These are not just trained individuals,” Venugopal said, adding, “they are empowered professionals who have taken charge of their futures.”

He said the Career Quest had played a pivotal role in helping Nigerian students access top-tier education abroad and secure high-value roles in the global IT industry.

Venugopal appreciated Aptech’s staff, students, and alumni, attributing the institution’s continued success to their dedication and belief in the company’s vision.

“Your success is our success. Your growth is what drives us every single day. To our dedicated staff – you are the soul of our organisation,” he said.

On his part, the executive vice president of Aptech Limited, Mr. Kallol Mukherjee, highlighted Aptech’s mission as a “skilling company” focused on employability.

“We have trained more than 100,000 students in IT, multimedia and animation – making them employable and giving them access to world-class education with the latest content and curriculum,” he said.

He explained that Aptech’s unique academic pathway allows Nigerian students to save up to 71% of the total cost of a UK degree by studying two years in Nigeria and completing the final year in the United Kingdom.

Speaking on Nigeria’s growing unemployment challenge, Mukherjee stressed the importance of IT skills. “Technology drives global competitiveness. IT is at the core, whether it is medicine, banking, infrastructure, or insurance. Nigeria has a large and vibrant youth population – when this is matched with IT education, the potential for national development is immense,” he asserted

Reflecting on the organisation’s growth, Mukherjee acknowledged the need to expand beyond major cities and bring quality IT education closer to underserved communities.

“We currently have 60 centres across Nigeria, but our goal is to reach 100 centres so that Aptech becomes a household name nationwide. That’s our challenge, and we are fully committed to meeting it.”

In addition, the regional manager for Africa at Middlesex University, Mrs. Oluchi Mwambara, explained that the institution has developed a pathway allowing Aptech graduates to complete their bachelor’s degrees in the United Kingdom within one year.

“Middlesex University and Aptech Education have formed an academic partnership through an articulation agreement. Students at Aptech who complete advanced diplomas – such as in software engineering – can progress to a final-year programme at Middlesex,” she said.