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With revived industries like Nollywood and the entertainment contributing to Nigeria’s GDP, fortune seems close for the Nigerian economy. Overtime, the nation has been paraded for being oil dependent. Government administrations have implemented several policies to gear the economy towards the path of diversification. But life itself never ceases with its ironies. Sectors which were not heavily projected in these plans are beginning to raise eyebrows.
In September, 2021 digitally driven companies from the likes of Opay and Andela were crowned new age unicorns of business and were reportedly worth billions of dollars. Of course, these headlines are worthy of a thousand mentions. But the question is how do we as an economy and progressive society replicate these success stories?
Firstly, education plays a pivotal role in the making of any success story, whether it is through experience, mentorship, skill acquisition, or certification. In Lagos, Nigeria, a digital academy popularly known as Gurudemy is taking tech entrepreneurship by the horn. For team leads at Gurudemy, “Digital skills will be an essential element for grooming the next generation of entrepreners.”
Borne from the socio-industrial context of the Covid19 shift, Gurudemy located in Lekki, Lagos, is a digital training school that has devoted itself to extensively training young and old Nigerians in coding, programming, graphics design, UI, UX, web development amongst other digitally inclined courses. Sharing photos and videos of its just concluded September’s graduation and award of certiificates on its social media Instagram, the academy made it clear that they were intentional about raising a different breed of entrepeneurs.
While the tech discipline embraces several fields from coding to ethical hacking and cyber security, students still need more to function as problem solvers in society. They will be going into society to function as entrepeneurs and business owners who will create jobs. A quick tour into Gurudemy’s learning studios in Lekki reveal an exquisite decor and careful selection of paintings and wall murals with a “tech guru” illustrated on the wall.
The time was 6pm, Friday in Lagos. A walk into the inner studio revealed just by the right, photos of famous brands and celebrities which the academy’s branding department had worked with.
The interior ambience gave off some peace, quiet and tranquility as students code their way into programming solutions on their computers. Then it was clear. The facility also offered hostel accommodation to students also. This convenience helped youths from locations outside Lagos find confidence in learning knowing distance was not a limitation. Flat screen tvs fixed to the walls of both learning studios revealed physical and virtual sessions on screens were made possible by the course instructors and facilitators. Students could learn in class and away from class.
Emphatically, one would not expect such experience of serenity in all of the hustle and bustle Lagos is known for. Somehow, a tech startup had thought to find and make education in digital skills accessible and also convenient for Nigerians. Workers willing to learn skills to upskill their careers could close from their jobs and find their ways to the learning academy. Likewise, parents and even married couples need not stop their ambitions. If tech offered a bright future, then it belonged to not only those young in age but also to those young at heart.
Come November, 2021 Gurudemy will empower 50 Nigerians with the skills required to make impact on society, business, and industry. Admissions have begun. To register visit gurudemyonline website.
