The Nigerian youth are at a unique crossroads in history, one where technology is changing most of their career paths and the future of work as we know it. Nigeria has one of the largest youth populations in the world. With over 60% of its population under 25, the country possesses a youth demography that, if properly equipped, can drive unprecedented economic and technological growth. As organisations worldwide undergo digital transformation, Nigeria must strategically empower its youth with the necessary digital skills to remain competitive in the global economy.
The rise of technology-driven industries, including fintech, e-commerce, and digital services, has already positioned Nigeria as a leader in Africa’s tech ecosystem. For example, Nigeria’s fintech sector attracted over $800 million in investments in 2021, making it Africa’s most funded tech ecosystem. During that period, Andela and Decagon trained Nigerian youth in tech skills such as software development, equipping them for global remote work opportunities. However, the scale of success was limited due to the inability of these organisations to reach the broader population of youths. To address this challenge, digital learning must be adopted as a strategic approach, making it accessible, high-quality, inclusive, and a formidable tool leading to sustainable youth development.
Imagine a world where the Nigerian youth has digital learning excellence; this will create a journey of enduring change for the nation. Also, the home-based learning content will provide younger Nigerians with skills, knowledge, and the ability to adapt, which is essential for entrepreneurship and tech-based jobs across the globe.
Digital Learning: A Catalyst for Economic Empowerment
Digital learning is not just about online courses; it is about creating engaging, interactive, and adaptive learning environments that cater to the diverse needs of young Nigerians. Whether through coding boot camps, digital marketing courses, or data analytics training, the goal is to equip youth with the skills needed for high-demand jobs in the digital economy. Moreover, digital learning helps bridge socio-economic divides by enabling youth in rural communities to access the same quality of education as those in urban centres. By leveraging mobile-first learning solutions, digital education can become more inclusive, ensuring that mobile users, who form a significant portion of Nigerian internet users, can also benefit.
Digital literacy leads the way with self-paced courses, mentorship, and hands-on projects, allowing youth to pursue careers driven by passion, create their own businesses, or contribute to their communities.
To ensure that digital learning is not just practical but impactful, especially in a diverse country like Nigeria, some considerations could be beneficial:
1. Digital learning should be specific to the context and culture of Nigeria. Using local case studies, examples, and even language will make learning much more relevant and will help the youth translate their learning experiences into real-life scenarios.
2. Given the high number of mobile phone users among Nigerian youths, more courses should be designed to accommodate those unable to access computers. Short, digestible lessons and videos accessible via mobile phones will facilitate aspirational learning.
3. The government can improve digital learning for citizens by collaborating with the private sector and educational institutions. These organisations can combine their resources, funding, and expertise to enhance digital learning initiatives and reach even more young people in Nigeria.
4. Participating in online communities allows young people to connect with others, ask questions, share knowledge, and collaborate on projects. This will foster a sense of belonging and provide reassurance, which enhances their motivation to learn together.
Overcoming Challenges in Digital Learning Implementation
Nigeria boasts of its diversity in various aspects, such as age, culture, and language. Hence, the challenges of developing digital learning are peculiar, such as lack of access to internet services and resources and low literacy levels.
Let us explore solutions to these challenges.
- Wider Connectivity and Internet Access: The reliance on strong internet by the network providers for the provision of educational data bundles and the possibility of downloading courses can help in offline learning or reach out to areas with undesirable connectivity.
- Offer Digital Literacy Training: Basic digital skills are needed for effective learning. Providing basic digital literacy courses can enable Nigerian youth to become more familiar with the technology and have access to some of these online resources.
- Developing Accessible Resources for Young People in Rural Environments: Rural communities typically need more educational resources. This will narrow the gap as Nigeria embraces a digital learning approach, which has been initiated through developing plans that focus on these zones when bringing digital learning to young people who might otherwise miss out.
Measuring the Impact of Digital Learning on Youth Development
Effective impact measurement ensures that digital learning can drive sustainable development. Here are some metrics to be considered
- Skill Acquisition and Retention: Monitoring participation, certifications earned, and new skills mastered gauges the success of youth learning new skills and retaining them over time.
- Entrepreneurship and Employment Rates: Tracking the number of young people who start businesses/commercialise work or gain employment in tech sectors illustrates the real-life significance of digital learning initiatives.
- Social and Community Impact: Beyond student learning, motivating young learners to partake in community or volunteer initiatives can help magnify the benefits of digital learning reach even further through the sharing of knowledge.
When the nature of digital learning impacts youth, organisations’ programmes can be better maximised for future impact.
Emerging Trends in Digital Learning and Workforce Development
With the advancement of technology, Nigeria’s digital learning mix is also bound to evolve. Potential vital trends that are changing digital learning include:
- Artificial Intelligence and Personalised Learning Paths: AI can assess learner progress and develop individualised learning paths, tailoring the content for strengths, weaknesses, and objectives.
- Gamified Learning Experiences: Gamification will turn learning into fun and engaging experiences. Gamification allows elements such as rewards, badges, and leaderboards to be incorporated into digital learning in a fun and stimulating way.
- Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in Training: Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) can simulate real-world situations, allowing young learners to experience a comfortable learning environment where they can practice skills. For instance, this could enable budding engineers to work in virtual reality, building confidence and skill before working on actual sites.
- Social Learning and Peer Collaboration: Online forums, group projects, and collaborative platforms enable young Nigerians to learn from one another, fostering a sense of community and shared knowledge.
Phillips Consulting Limited (pcl.): Leading the Charge in Digital Learning
A prime example of effective digital learning implementation is Phillips Consulting Limited (pcl.), a Nigerian management consulting firm pioneering digital education for youth. pcl. has partnered with organisations like Skillsoft (Percipio) and TalentLMS to deliver high-impact training programs that equip young Nigerians with market-relevant skills.
By embracing mobile-first design, creating compelling content, and offering mentorship opportunities by pcl., young Nigerians have acquired new skills and gained experience for productivity and development in their various fields. This model has fostered employability among participants and empowered many to start their first entrepreneurial steps – showing that digital learning at scale can be transformative if done right.
The Path Towards Sustainable Growth
One of the routes to sustainable development is empowering the youth, and digital learning offers that avenue for all, especially in Nigeria. With most of Nigeria’s young population, digital learning can help shape a better future by making digital learning more accessible, relevant and engaging. Though obstacles exist, there are solutions such as mobile-first learning, localised content and community-building that can fill in the gaps with power and potential to lead us to a brighter tomorrow.
When we have more Nigerians gaining digital skills and having their lives transformed as a result, Nigeria will be better off. With digital learning, Nigeria has a real opportunity to create the innovators and leaders who will shape sustainable futures for all of us.
Written by:
Saheed Fatai
Digital Learning