Increasing women’s access to online learning has the potential to improve their economic prospects and open up new career paths, even as a report revealed that the proportion of female learners in Nigeria grew from 26 per cent in 2017 to 32 per cent in 2022.
The report from International Finance Corporation(IFC), titled: ‘Women and Online Learning in Emerging Markets’ draws on data from nearly 97 million Coursera learners in over 190 countries, surveys of nearly 10,000 learners across Egypt, India, Mexico, and Nigeria who completed at least one lesson on the platform, and interviews with over 70 global learners and industry experts.
Findings of the study showed 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.
It disclosed that women were twice as likely as men to cite family and childcare obligations as the reason behind their motivation to learn online, adding that 27 per cent of women were motivated by the pandemic and 20 per cent of women were motivated by personal preferences.
Credential acceptance holds the key to attracting more online learners, with more than 50 per cent surveyed citing it as a key reason to enroll. Nigerian learners also rate the credibility of online learning highest when compared with learners from other countries in the study.
The study also showed that online learning can lead to career outcomes and economic gains in Nigeria, even as 38 per cent of online learners in Nigeria reported a positive job or business outcome as a result of online learning.
“27 per cent women built skills to prepare for a new job application. 14 per cent of women employees received a new job or a promotion. 23 per cent of women improved their performance in their existing job or businesses. The largest category of learners in Nigeria (36 per cent) report a monthly household income below the 50th percentile at N55,000.
“Over a quarter of women reported a need to overcome connectivity challenges, yet the interest in online learning is still strong: 65 per cent of women and 76 per cent of men report that they will continue learning online exclusively in the future,” it averred
Speaking on the report, IFC’s senior country manager for Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Kalim M. Shah said: “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.”
The general manager for the Middle East and Africa at Coursera, Kais Zribi, said: “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.”
Zribi, however, urged governments, businesses and institutions to work closely to address some of the key challenges women are facing in Nigeria, adding that public-private partnerships will be critical to unlock women’s full potential and create more opportunities.
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