Victoria Adefila, a stay-at-home mother, has shared her inspiring journey of how the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme—a Nigerian government-backed initiative—revived her passion for technology and helped her rebuild her career.
Launched in 2023 by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, the 3MTT initiative aims to train at least three million Nigerians in various technical skills. The programme offers diverse courses, including software development, UI/UX design, data analysis, product management, data science, and cybersecurity.
In a recent LinkedIn post, Adefila recounted her struggles and triumphs, illustrating the transformative impact of the programme on her life.
Victoria’s story began with a successful beauty business that suffered during her pregnancy due to complications, limiting her ability to manage operations. After giving birth, she faced the added challenge of postpartum depression, grappling with the conflicting emotions of motherhood and her mental health struggles.
“It was a strange season—joy in having a baby, but darkness from depression,” she reflected.
Despite holding a degree in Computer Engineering and a long-standing passion for technology, Victoria felt disconnected from her career aspirations. Her university experience introduced her to basic programming, but a lack of mentorship left her adrift.
Encouraged by her husband, a product manager, to explore product design, she began to reconsider her future. Initially skeptical about the 3MTT programme, viewing it as just another government initiative, her perspective changed after learning about its objectives and success stories from its first cohort.
With over 1.7 million applicants for the 12 technical skills offered, the programme generated significant interest across Nigeria’s 774 local governments, showcasing widespread enthusiasm for technical training.
When Cohort II began, Victoria seized the opportunity to participate, determined to reclaim her career. “From the moment it started, I knew this was my chance to rebuild,” she stated.
She fully immersed herself in the programme, attending all classes and utilizing available resources. Her dedication paid off as she discovered design thinking principles, learning to research, empathize, and solve real-world problems.
“These lessons weren’t just about tech for me; they were about life,” she noted, expressing how they instilled a renewed sense of purpose.
In just eight weeks, Victoria created wireframes, completed assignments, and received unwavering support from her instructors at Roothub, a leading training hub affiliated with 3MTT.
“The sense of community and the intentional learning environment have been a lifeline for me,” she shared, expressing gratitude for the encouragement and collaboration she experienced during her training.
Victoria’s journey exemplifies the transformative power of the 3MTT initiative, which aims to equip individuals like her with the tools necessary to thrive in the digital landscape.
“I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity to be a beneficiary of the programme,” she said, thanking Minister Tijani and President Bola Tinubu for fostering an environment conducive to such initiatives.