A recent study by Coursera has found that Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s highest year-on-year average growth rate for people enrolling for professional courses, with Nigeria ranking third globally.
A study conducted by Coursera, a United States-based training and skills company, reveals that the region has been witnessing remarkable growth in enrollment for professional certificate courses, experiencing an average increase of 80% in recent years.
According to the report cited by University World News, Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, has enrolled 142,000 learners. Although trailing behind the United States with 1.3 million and India with 654,000 enrolments, Nigeria secures the third position globally. The report also highlights that Africans show a strong inclination towards investing in technology skills such as web development, user experience, and data science, focusing on areas like geo-visualization or data visualization software.
Beyond Nigeria, other countries in the region have also seen noteworthy growth in enrollment. Cameroon, for instance, leads in technology course enrollments, while Zambia takes the lead in pursuing studies related to data science skills.
Sub-Saharan Africa experiences the highest average growth in enrollment for professional courses.
The report indicates that Nigerians demonstrated a “competitive” score of 51% in entrepreneurship within business courses. However, their performance was subpar in strategy and operations (13%), finance (22%), and leadership and management (25%). Nigerian learners also did not achieve noteworthy scores in technology and data science.
Nigerians demonstrated a “competitive” score of 51% in entrepreneurship within business courses. However, their performance was subpar in strategy and operations (13%), finance (22%), and leadership and management (25%)
The report
In comparison, South Africans attained “competitive scores in business skills across the board,” except in finance, human resources, and communication, where they scored below 50%. South African learners exhibited a preference for business skills courses, including audit, investment management, innovation, and risk management, along with technology skills like network architecture and computer programming.
The study highlights Sub-Saharan Africa’s potential to emerge as the next hub for digital skills learning. It emphasizes the importance of regional leaders prioritizing investments in technology and data science skills. The notable increase in enrollment figures in the region indicates a burgeoning interest in professional development and upskilling, crucial for both personal growth and career advancement.
