IHS Nigeria Launches Second AWS re/Start Cohort to Build Cloud Talent
IHS Nigeria has launched the second cohort of the AWS re/Start Cloud Program in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Ilorin Innovation Hub. The initiative will provide 30 participants with foundational cloud knowledge, technical skills, professional competencies and career support.
IHS Nigeria is part of IHS Holding Limited, also known as IHS Towers, which owns, operates and develops shared communications infrastructure globally.
The virtual launch took place on Monday, November 2, 2026, under the theme “Empowering Future Cloud Professionals Through Digital Skills Development.”
The new cohort follows the programme’s first run, which recorded a 96.7% completion rate. Of the 30 learners eligible for early certification, 15 sat AWS examinations and all passed. One participant also received a grant to attend AWS re:Invent in Las Vegas.
The programme aims to address demand for cloud skills. Research cited by the initiative found that, across 45 countries in 2021, 2.8 million cloud professionals were available to meet demand associated with 7.8 million cloud job postings.
Sanet Shepperson, Vice President, Operations (Process Excellence), IHS Nigeria, said the initiative also includes an employer outreach plan to help graduates access work opportunities.
“The real measure of this program is what happens after graduation. That is why we introduced the Talent2Work initiative, which is an employer outreach plan to connect graduates with internships, entry-level roles and opportunities across banks, telecoms, fintechs, consulting firms, cloud partners and technology teams, including IHS itself. We want to turn this program into a repeatable pathway for building employable cloud talent in Nigeria, one that every Nigerian business can draw from.”
Zumah Yahaya, Director of Programs at Ilorin Innovation Hub, acknowledged the programme’s partners and the role of local skills development.
“An opportunity of this magnitude does not happen in a vacuum. I express our profound appreciation to our partners, IHS Towers, the Kwara State Government, and Amazon Web Services. Your strategic investment is actively proving that decentralized tech talent development is the most direct path to sustainable economic mobility for our youth”
