Nigeria Ranks Third Globally in Coursera Professional Course Enrollment

A recent study has found that Sub-Saharan Africa has the world's highest year-on-year average growth rate for people enrolling for professional course

 

Nigeria ranks third globally in enrollment for professional courses on Coursera, according to a study conducted by Coursera, a United States-based training and skills company. The region has witnessed substantial growth in enrollment for professional certificate courses, averaging an 80% increase in the past few years.

As reported by University World News, Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, boasts an enrollment of 142,000 learners, following the United States with 1.3 million and India with 654,000 enrollments. The study highlights a preference among Africans for investing in technology skills, such as web development, user experience, and data science skills like geo-visualization or data visualization software.

Beyond Nigeria, other countries in the region have also experienced significant growth in enrollment. For instance, Cameroon leads in enrolling for technology courses, while Zambia's learners are at the forefront of seeking studies in data science skills.

The report suggests that Sub-Saharan Africa could emerge as the next digital skills learning hub, emphasizing the need for regional leaders to prioritize investments in technology and data science skills.

The study evaluates the performance of Nigerian learners, noting a competitive score of 51% in entrepreneurship courses but lower scores in strategy and operations (13%), finance (22%), and leadership and management (25%). Nigerians did not achieve remarkable scores in technology and data science.

In comparison, South Africans demonstrated competitive scores in business skills across various domains, except in finance, human resources, and communication, where scores fell below 50%. South African learners exhibited interest in business skills courses like audit, investment management, innovation, and risk management, as well as technology skills such as network architecture and computer programming.

The study underscores the potential for Sub-Saharan Africa to become a digital skills learning hub, emphasizing the importance of regional leaders investing in technology and data science skills. The high enrollment figures reflect a growing interest in professional development and upskilling, crucial for personal growth and career advancement.