Heirs Technologies, a subsidiary of Tony Elumelu’s Heirs Holdings Group, has graduated its second cohort of 100 trainees from the Supplementary Technical Engineering Programme (STEP) under the i‑Academy initiative.
Held at the company’s training centre in Lagos, the three‑month intensive boot camp is part of Heirs Technologies’ ongoing effort to equip young African professionals with practical, job‑ready expertise to support the continent’s fast‑growing digital economy.
Launched in 2023, i‑Academy claims it provides immersive training in critical domains like cloud computing, cybersecurity, network infrastructure, IT operations, and software development.
The STEP programme was also set to build upon global standards it includes official credentials such as CompTIA Cloud+ and Security+ and offers access to digital labs for hands‑on experience.
For the latest cohort, participants were selected from a pool of over 3,600 applicants across Nigeria. The programme is delivered through two specialised tracks:
- Cloud Computing: Trainees learned to deploy applications, implement identity and access management (IAM), design landing zones, and simulate threat detection.
- Cybersecurity: The curriculum focused on network security, vulnerability assessment, IAM, and incident response.
A key highlight was a visit to Cisco’s Edge Centre, where trainees interacted with Meraki’s AI‑driven cloud networking tools used by Fortune 500 companies, reinforcing their practical skills.
At the graduation ceremony, Managing Director Obong Idiong congratulated the trainees:
“We are immensely proud of our graduates. They represent the future of Africa’s technology industry—passionate, skilled, and driven to create impact. At Heirs Technologies, we are not just building a business; we are developing people who will shape the future of our continent.”
Ivy Ikpeme‑Mbakwem, Vice President of i‑Academy, emphasized the timing:
“At Heirs Technologies, we’re not just solving today’s tech problems—we’re shaping tomorrow’s talent.”
Heirs Technologies is recognised as one of Africa’s premier tech solutions providers . Its investment in i‑Academy is consistent with its parent company’s broader strategy to build Africa’s digital infrastructure through human capital development. The STEP programme supported by global partners like CompTIA—combines certification, mentorship, and real‑world exposure.
Alumni of the programme now enter the workforce with elite-standard qualifications, making them valuable assets for public and private sectors in Africa. By strengthening capacity in cloud and cybersecurity, Heirs Technologies contributes directly to economic resilience and digital sovereignty across Africa.
As STEP continues to produce skilled graduates, Heirs Technologies plans to expand i‑Academy’s curriculum to include specialisations in Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, and Technical Support.
These investments reflect the company’s vision to build a pipeline of tech professionals equipped to drive Africa’s digital transformation.
With over 100 trainees now certified and more cohorts in the pipeline, STEP is positioning i‑Academy as a replicable model for scalable, industry-aligned skills development in Africa.
TALKING POINTS
Heirs Technologies is doing what governments should have been doing for years. Let’s cut to the chase: it’s embarrassing that we have to rely on private companies like Heirs Technologies to train the next generation of software engineers and cybersecurity professionals.
Where are the Ministries of Education, Labour, Digital Economy? Why has the public sector left such a glaring hole in Africa’s talent pipeline that corporations are now forced to plug it?
It’s commendable that Heirs Technologies is stepping up, but this shouldn’t be the default solution for an entire continent’s skills gap.
Bootcamps and talent accelerators are great—but they’re not magic bullets. There’s a dangerous narrative emerging that if we just pump out thousands of bootcamp graduates, Africa’s digital economy will thrive.
Reality check: coding bootcamps can’t fix structural issues like underfunded universities, erratic power supply, or the brain drain that keeps exporting Africa’s best talent to Europe and North America.
i-Academy’s hands-on model is a massive step forward—but without broader systemic reforms, it’s like pouring water into a bucket full of holes.
