<\/p>\n
Nigeria\u2019s government has signed an agreement with US technology giant Microsoft to train five million people in digital technology.<\/p>\n Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, said the agreement would boost \u201cjob creation and economic development\u201d.<\/p>\n Prof Pantami described the initiative as \u201camazing and also very huge\u201d.<\/p>\n He told the BBC it would start immediately, and run for five years.<\/p>\n The deal was signed on the sidelines of an IT exhibition in Dubai on Wednesday, with a Microsoft representative saying the company was willing to work with the Nigerian government to provide \u201ceconomic opportunities\u201d for young people.<\/p>\n Microsoft and the government have been in talks for more than a year about the project.<\/p>\n Nigeria is Africa\u2019s most populous country and biggest economy.<\/p>\n It has a largely young population of more than 200 million. But unemployment is high and the education sector is struggling. The government says it is trying to make the economy digitally oriented.<\/p>\n Prof Pantami also said that Nigeria would continue to provide an \u201cenabling environment\u201d for Microsoft and other companies to operate in the country by ensuring that regulatory measures were \u201cdevelopmental and flexible\u201d.<\/p>\n