Coursera, a platform focused on teaching digital skills, recently published the Global Skills Proficiency report for 2024, in which Nigeria was placed 105th out of 109 countries. The ranking is determined by analysing the performance of users on the platform while also considering important economic factors. Coursera evaluates the proficiency level of each user in various skills and then combines these results to determine the overall skill level of a country in a specific area.
According to the report, the 2024 ranking pulled insights from a pool of 148 million learners, with 2.4 million of them being Nigerian. Nigeria ranked 12th out of 13 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa according to a global ranking, with Somalia coming in last spot in Africa at 107th place worldwide. The platform also reported that Nigerian users are focusing on enhancing their expertise in technical areas such as SQL and HTML/CSS, as well as acquiring business skills like advertising and communication.
76% of Nigerian learners are utilising mobile devices.
Learners are getting ready for a variety of top roles in engineering and marketing, such as product marketing manager, cloud Security engineer, and e-commerce analyst. According to them, advanced skill levels are essential for addressing Nigeria’s high youth Unemployment rate of 53.4%, as only a small fraction of workers possess these skills. Coursera also noted that 76% of Nigerian learners are utilising mobile devices to access courses, indicating a preference for convenient and flexible learning options.
The report highlighted that many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are falling behind in terms of skill rankings, signalling a crucial need to prioritise the cultivation of a highly skilled younger generation. The report emphasised the importance of investing in accessible and job-relevant learning as the digital job market is expected to reach 230 million by 2030. It highlighted the need for increased Internet Access to foster development, particularly as 75% of Africa’s internet traffic is generated from smartphones.
Women are 36% despite having 50.2% of the working-age population.
Also, the report pointed out the gender disparity in online learning within the region, where women make up only 36% of learners despite representing 50.2% of the working-age population. This also requires a revamp of educational systems in the area by modernising curricula, enhancing Teacher preparation, and boosting financial support for education. In order to address the gap in Nigeria, the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy initiated a program named the 3 Million Technical Training (3MTT) last year.
This program’s goal is to provide technical training to three million Nigerians within the next three years. Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Communications Minister, shared that the 3MTT program aims to develop Nigeria’s technical workforce in order to support the growth of its digital Economy and establish Nigeria as a hub for skilled talent exportation. Nigerians are undergoing training in a variety of technological skills that aim to improve different job functions without the need to create new technology.
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Some of these skills include using Technology for Digital Marketing, Navigation of Cloud Platforms, CRM Management, Accounting Software, Project Management Software, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Graphics Design, Data Analysis and Visualization, and UX/UI Design, among other areas. Improving and perfecting these skills on a consistent basis can open up new job prospects, increase flexibility, boost marketing impact, enhance analytical capabilities, and strengthen teamwork proficiency, all culminating in improved outcomes and achievements within the digital space.