Table of Contents
Global Giants: Coursera, Udemy, & edX
You have access to the same education as a student in Harvard. Use it.
Coursera & edX (The Academic Route):
Partners with universities like Yale, Stanford, and Google.
- Financial Aid: Almost every course on Coursera has a "Financial Aid available" link. Click it. Write a sincere essay about your situation in Nigeria, and you will likely get the course for FREE.
- Certificates: Recognized globally.
Udemy (The Skill Route):
Anyone can teach here. It's practical and direct.
- Pricing Rule: NEVER pay $100 for a course. Udemy has sales every week where courses drop to $10-$12 (approx ₦15,000). Wait for the sale.
- Best for: Coding, Excel, Photoshop, Digital Marketing.
Coursera & edX (The Academic Route):
Partners with universities like Yale, Stanford, and Google.
- Financial Aid: Almost every course on Coursera has a "Financial Aid available" link. Click it. Write a sincere essay about your situation in Nigeria, and you will likely get the course for FREE.
- Certificates: Recognized globally.
Udemy (The Skill Route):
Anyone can teach here. It's practical and direct.
- Pricing Rule: NEVER pay $100 for a course. Udemy has sales every week where courses drop to $10-$12 (approx ₦15,000). Wait for the sale.
- Best for: Coding, Excel, Photoshop, Digital Marketing.
Homegrown Heroes: ALX & AltSchool
Sometimes you need a community that understands NEPA and MTN.
ALX Africa:
- Model: Often free or sponsored. Very rigorous (70+ hours/week for the SE program).
- Pros: Massive network, "The Room" fellowship, focuses on soft skills too.
AltSchool Africa:
- Model: Paid (Subscription based). "Diploma" style.
- Pros: Structured curriculum (Semesters), mentors, and internship pipelines.
Why Choose Local?
They understand your context. Deadlines might be flexible during national grid collapses. You meet peers you can physically meet in Lagos or Abuja.
ALX Africa:
- Model: Often free or sponsored. Very rigorous (70+ hours/week for the SE program).
- Pros: Massive network, "The Room" fellowship, focuses on soft skills too.
AltSchool Africa:
- Model: Paid (Subscription based). "Diploma" style.
- Pros: Structured curriculum (Semesters), mentors, and internship pipelines.
Why Choose Local?
They understand your context. Deadlines might be flexible during national grid collapses. You meet peers you can physically meet in Lagos or Abuja.
YouTube University: Free but Dangerous
Everything is free on YouTube. That's the problem.
The Danger:
"Tutorial Hell." You watch 10 videos on Python but can't write a single line of code yourself. You lack structure.
How to Tame It:
1. Find a Roadmap: Go to roadmap.sh to see what you actually need to learn.
2. Follow Full Courses: Don't watch 5-minute clips. Watch the "12 Hour Course" by FreeCodeCamp.
3. Build Projects: Pause the video and type the code. Break it. Fix it.
The Danger:
"Tutorial Hell." You watch 10 videos on Python but can't write a single line of code yourself. You lack structure.
How to Tame It:
1. Find a Roadmap: Go to roadmap.sh to see what you actually need to learn.
2. Follow Full Courses: Don't watch 5-minute clips. Watch the "12 Hour Course" by FreeCodeCamp.
3. Build Projects: Pause the video and type the code. Break it. Fix it.
Survival Skills: Data & Electricity
Online learning in Nigeria is an extreme sport.
Data Strategy:
- Night Plans: MTN and Airtel Night plans (11 PM - 6 AM) are your best friend. Download heavy video lectures at night. Watch them offline during the day.
- Video Quality: You don't need 1080p to hear a lecture. 360p or 480p saves 70% of your data.
Power Strategy:
- Laptop: Get a laptop with good battery life (MacBook Air M1 is the holy grail, but a decent Lenovo ThinkPad is a solid budget option).
- Power Bank: Essential for your router/MiFi. If your internet dies when light goes, you can't learn.
Data Strategy:
- Night Plans: MTN and Airtel Night plans (11 PM - 6 AM) are your best friend. Download heavy video lectures at night. Watch them offline during the day.
- Video Quality: You don't need 1080p to hear a lecture. 360p or 480p saves 70% of your data.
Power Strategy:
- Laptop: Get a laptop with good battery life (MacBook Air M1 is the holy grail, but a decent Lenovo ThinkPad is a solid budget option).
- Power Bank: Essential for your router/MiFi. If your internet dies when light goes, you can't learn.
The Certificate Trap
Hard Truth: Employers don't care about your 50 Udemy certificates. They care if you can do the job.
The Portfolio > The Paper:
- Designers: Show your Behance/Dribbble link.
- Coders: Show your GitHub green squares and live projects.
- Marketers: Show a campaign you ran and the ROI.
Use the certificate to get past the HR filter (sometimes), but use the Portfolio to get the offer letter.
The Portfolio > The Paper:
- Designers: Show your Behance/Dribbble link.
- Coders: Show your GitHub green squares and live projects.
- Marketers: Show a campaign you ran and the ROI.
Use the certificate to get past the HR filter (sometimes), but use the Portfolio to get the offer letter.
Chinedu "Prof" Okeke
EdTech Consultant
4
Chinedu dropped out of a generic management course to learn coding online. He now works for a US startup and mentors over 1,000 students in the "Naija Tech Study" community. He believes the internet is the great equalizer.
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