In line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to stimulate job creation in the Information Technology sector, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has collaborated with Coursera to launch Cohort 3 of Coursera courses, inviting applications from interested Nigerians.
This initiative stems from the partnership forged on October 19, 2022, aiming to address Nigeria’s high youth unemployment rate, which stood at 19.6% in 2021. The partnership intends to train 8000 Nigerian learners annually over three years, with each cohort comprising 4000 learners. Coursera, renowned for its world-class educational content from prestigious universities and industry leaders like Yale, Meta, Google, and IBM, will aid in improving the technical capabilities of Nigerian youths and fostering Information Technology talent. This collaboration marks Coursera’s inaugural government partnership in Nigeria.
Nigerian learners selected by NITDA gain access to Coursera’s Professional Certificates portfolio, facilitating entry into high-growth careers such as Data Analytics, Social Media Marketing, and Software Development. These fields are projected to dominate Nigeria’s labor market, which anticipates the creation of 3 million digital jobs within the next four years.
Notably, the first year of the partnership witnessed the graduation of 8000 learners from Cohorts 1 and 2. Enrollments surpassed 43,745, with learners completing 16,374 courses across domains like Computer Science, Business, and Data Science. The program received an enthusiastic response from learners, with an average rating of 4.8/5.0, reflecting Nigerians’ keen interest in digital upskilling. A study by Business Insider Africa further highlights Sub-Saharan Africa’s leading growth rate in professional course enrollments, with Nigeria ranking third globally.
Cohort 3 will target skills aligned with the 3 million Tech talent (3MTT) initiative of the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy. These skills encompass Software Development, UI/UX Design, Data Analysis & Visualizations, Quality Assurance, Product Management, Data Science, Animation, AI/Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, Game Development, Cloud Computing, and DevOps.
Interested applicants are encouraged to apply through the provided link, with applications opening on January 24, 2024, and the program scheduled to commence on February 10, 2024. This initiative heralds a transformative opportunity for Nigerian youths to acquire in-demand digital skills, fostering economic growth and innovation in the nation’s burgeoning technology sector.
