How Will the AfDB Coding for Employment Programme Benefit Graduates?

A recent announcement from the African Development Bank spells exciting news for graduates in Nigeria. The president, Doctor Akinwumi Adesina, has stated that within the next five years, the bank will create 9 million direct and indirect jobs through the Jobs for Youth in Africa initiative. The plan is designed to lower youth unemployment figures, after it was found that of the 12 million graduates who enter the labour market each year only 3 million find a suitable job. The main part of this action plan is the Coding for Employment programme which aims to encourage digital entrepreneurs to break into the booming gaming market.

What is the Coding for Employment Programme?

The Coding for Employment Programme is a scheme which will help to develop 130 centres of digital innovation. In these centres, there will be courses to help foster proficiency in digital sectors. For this project, the AfDB is working in conjunction with the Rockefeller Foundation in various African countries including Nigeria, Kenya, and Senegal. It will provide youths in these areas with the vital skills they need to be able to forge careers in the rapidly evolving technological landscape. In the long term, the hope is that this programme can help to advance the continent’s economic and social development.

The Coding for Employment programme will give students comprehensive training in information and communications technology. When they finish the course, graduates will be matched directly with ICT employers who can give them the vital experience they need to progress in the industry. It is expected that by 2025, the Jobs For Youth in Africa initiative will have created more than 25 million jobs in various industries including ICT.

The AfDB believes that as the world is moving towards its fourth industrial revolution, the need for equipping the youth of today with the knowledge they need to thrive in it is crucial. It has stated that digital innovations such as these have the power to solve the continent’s development challenges.

Could this Lead to the Emergence of a Successful Nigerian Game Developer?

When it comes to sectors in which Nigerian graduates have the potential to thrive, the iGaming industry is a prime hotspot for new businesses. Revenue from the sector is growing at an exceptional rate each year, with some projections anticipating that it will be worth more than $102 billion by 2025. This means that there will be plenty of opportunities for new businesses to create games for the rapidly increasing number of sites that offer them.

Nigerian entrepreneurs could look to the success of a company like Microgaming as a prime model for how to get to the top in the iGaming industry. The Isle of Man-based software company has been around since 1994, when it claims to have created the world’s first true online casino software. Since then, Microgaming has always stayed at the forefront of innovations in the industry, and it is now listed as one of the best slot providers alongside the likes of NetEnt and Playtech.

Other areas of the gaming industry are making a lot of progress as well. Indeed, an up-and-coming Nigerian game developer could opt to get into the booming mobile market. This is another platform on which young companies have been able to flourish over the last decade, and the fact that it is continuing to grow suggests that other businesses can do the same.

One of the biggest success stories in this sector was Rovio Entertainment, the company behind the best-selling Angry Birds series. This studio was founded by a trio of Helsinki university students who gained attention after they participated in a mobile game development competition. The company who came up with Candy Crush, King, rose to prominence by identifying the need for more social games on Facebook and got in there at the right time.

Ambitious Nigerian developers could look at these case studies and attempt to follow in the footsteps of these successful companies. They will receive a massive boost from the AfDB initiative, which will help them develop the skills they need to make it in this hugely competitive digital industry. The good news is that there is always room for innovation. It is simply a case of spotting what players need and getting in there at the right time.

 

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