Hassanat Abubakar’s community-driven approach to skills education by 2025

Hassanat Abubakar’s Community-Driven Approach to Skills Education by 2025

Skills Education has become more critical than ever. Traditional Education alone is no longer sufficient to equip individuals with the practical expertise needed to thrive in the modern workforce. Recognizing this gap, Hassanat Abubakar, A Product Manager at Prunedge and the Product Lead at Technoobng, is on a mission to redefine skills education in Nigeria through a community-driven approach—one that prioritizes accessibility, inclusivity, and real-world impact.

The Urgency of Skills Education in Nigeria

Nigeria, with its youthful population and growing digital economy, faces both an opportunity and a challenge. While many young people aspire to build careers in technology, business, and innovation, access to quality skill-building programs remains limited. Factors such as high costs, lack of mentorship, and outdated curricula prevent many from acquiring the skills they need to succeed in today’s job market.

When Hassanat graduated from university in 2020 as a top graduating student in Biochemistry, she quickly realized that entry-level opportunities in her field were scarce. This pushed her to pivot into tech, where she learned Project Management, and then transitioned to Product Management in 2022.

While Hassanat was able to navigate this transition successfully, she understood that many graduates and undergraduates are not aware of such opportunities or lack the resources to make a similar move. Over time, Hassanat observed that in today’s Nigerian market, an undergraduate degree alone is no longer enough to secure opportunities.

For Hassanat, the solution lies in democratizing education by making skills training more affordable, practical, and community-driven. Through Technoobng, she is pioneering an approach that goes beyond traditional learning to provide hands-on experience through Open-Source projects, Mentorships, Skills training, peer-to-peer learning, and direct industry connections. Now, Hassanat is taking this mission further by launching her own EdTech platform, FUSE Varsity, in June 2024. She believes that FUSE Varsity will leverage innovative strategies to shape the future of skills education in Nigeria.

Unlike conventional institutions and other e-learning platforms that focus solely on theoretical learning, FUSE Varsity is structured around collaboration and real-world application.

Our platform will adopt a community-driven approach to skills education, ensuring that learning is affordable, accessible, and impactful for aspiring professionals. Through affordable and free learning resources, individuals from diverse backgrounds can gain relevant skills without financial barriers.

Emphasizing project-based learning, students engage in real-world projects that prepare them for industry demands while collaborating with peers in a supportive community. Additionally, FUSE Varsity will be creating networking and job opportunities, enabling learners to access career pathways through strong industry connections, peer support, and a thriving ecosystem that champions growth and professional development.

Hassanat believes that learning is most effective when it happens within a community. By fostering a culture of shared knowledge and continuous improvement, she is helping individuals upskill, transition into tech, and stay ahead of industry trends as she has seen it play out in communities she has led and developed.

By 2025, Hassanat envisions FUSE Varsity becoming a leading force in Nigeria’s EdTech landscape, with a clear focus on impact-driven education, she aims to equip thousands of Nigeria with in-demand skills, fostering a workforce that is future-ready and globally competitive.

By democratizing access to quality education, prioritizing real-world application, and creating a strong community of learners and professionals, Hassanat Abubakar is not just reshaping skills education—she is shaping the future of Nigeria’s workforce.