Nigerian women leveraging online learning for positive career outcomes – IFC

Increasing women’s access to online learning has the potential to improve their economic prospects and open up new career paths, according to a recent report by the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

The study found that one in three Nigerian women surveyed reported positive career or business outcomes after taking online courses, including finding a new job, setting up a business, or improving job performance.

Among other key findings in Nigeria is that women’s enrollment in online education has accelerated but a gender gap still persists. Accordingly, the findings indicated that men make up the majority of online learners in Nigeria. However, over the past five years the proportion of female learners has grown from 26 percent in 2017 to 32 percent in 2022.

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Women were twice as likely as men to cite family and childcare obligations as the reason behind their motivation to learn online. 27 percent of women were motivated by the pandemic and 20 percent of women were motivated by personal preferences.

“This report, conducted through IFC’s Digital2Equal initiative, highlights the importance of technology and online learning in boosting access to new skills and creating opportunities for women and entrepreneurs more broadly. IFC is committed to empowering more women in business by leveraging the digital economy,” Kalim M. Shah, IFC’s senior country manager for Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, stated.

According to m Shah, the research is part of the ‘Women and Online Learning in Emerging Markets’ report from IFC, created in partnership with the global online learning platform, Coursera, and the European Commission.

Accordingly, the study uses data from Coursera to quantify women’s participation in online education, identify challenges to greater participation, and provide recommendations for the public and private sector to improve life-long learning opportunities and outcomes for women.

Kais Zribi, general manager, Middle East and Africa, Coursera, stated that the government, businesses and institutions must collaborate to address some of the key challenges facing women in Nigeria. According to Zribi, public-private partnerships (PPP) will be critical to unlock women’s full potential and create more opportunities across the continent.

“Our research highlights the potential for online learning to bridge the gender gap in Nigeria by providing women with access to in-demand skills and new career opportunities. It also shows that online education can not only benefit individual women, but also drive economic growth through job creation,” Kais Zribi, general manager for the Middle East and Africa at Coursera, said.