Digital skills are now super important for getting good jobs and helping countries grow. Imagine a young woman in Lagos using her phone to run a growing online store, a farmer in Kenya using data to grow more crops, or a team in Nairobi making a helpful healthcare app. These things are happening right now across Africa. This is the digital revolution, where we can change lives and make money with our fingertips.
In Nigeria and all over Africa, we are at a big moment. Jobs around the world are changing, and digital skills are becoming the new way to succeed. But what does this mean for you? Maybe you just finished school in Abuja, or you are working in Accra, or you are starting a business in Johannesburg?
Digital skills are not just about keeping up with the world. They are about using these skills to fix African problems, tell our stories, and come up with new ideas that put our continent at the front of the world’s digital economy.
Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, said: “African countries will need to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) to address the current shortage of teachers and doctors on the continent” .This shows how important it is for Africa to improve its digital skills and internet access.
So, if you want to make sure you have a job in the future, change to a new job, or just understand how work is changing, you are in the right place. Let’s learn together about how digital skills are changing jobs and the future of work in Africa and beyond.
The Digital Skills Revolution
In the last few years, we have seen a big change in how businesses work. The COVID-19 pandemic made this change happen even faster. Companies all over the world had to start using digital tools and let people work from home really quickly. This digital change is not just happening in tech companies. It is changing all kinds of jobs, from farming to healthcare, teaching to making things in factories.
For people working in Nigeria and Africa, this digital revolution brings both problems and chances. On one hand, technology is changing so fast that it can be scary, especially in places where not everyone has the internet or knows how to use digital tools. On the other hand, the digital economy gives exciting chances to skip old ways of doing things and come up with new ones.
Digital skills can help people in Africa have more chances to succeed. Many tech leaders and innovators across Africa believe, “The big changes happening with computers and the internet give Africa a special opportunity. Africa can skip over some of the old ways of doing things and instead create its own new solutions to problems that people have both in Africa and all over the world.”
Top Digital Skills in Demand
Right now, some digital skills are really important in jobs. Data analysis is a big one. In a world where we use lots of data, people who can understand and use data to make good decisions are really wanted. This is especially important in Nigeria and other African countries, where using data can help with things like farming, healthcare, and planning cities.
Digital marketing skills are also really important as more businesses go online. This includes knowing how to use social media, make websites show up in searches, and create good content. For African businesses that want to reach people in their country and around the world, these skills are really valuable.
Gary Vaynerchuk, a well-known American entrepreneur and internet personality, says: “The internet’s maturity, which is the biggest cultural shift we have ever lived through in our society since the printing press has fundamentally changed everything.“ This shows how important digital skills are for people who want to start their own businesses or grow existing ones.
Cybersecurity is another important area. As African countries use more digital tools, they need people who can protect digital information and systems. This is really important in Nigeria, where online crime has been growing. Having people who know about cybersecurity is important to protect businesses and people, and to make sure people trust digital systems.
How Digital Skills Are Changing Industries
Digital skills are changing lots of different jobs. In healthcare, for example, digital tools are changing how doctors take care of patients and manage health information. From keeping health records on computers to letting people talk to doctors online, healthcare is using more and more digital tools. This is really important in African countries where there might not be many hospitals or doctors.
In schools, we are seeing more online learning and mixing online and in-person learning. This started happening more because of COVID-19, but it will probably keep going even when schools open again. For teachers in Nigeria, this means learning new ways to teach using technology. It also gives a chance to bring good education to more people, especially in rural areas or places that don’t have many schools.
“Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform education for the better. “We’re at the cusp of using AI for probably the biggest positive transformation that education has ever seen,” said Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, an online learning platform, in his 2023 TED talk.
Even old jobs like farming are changing because of digital tools. Farmers are using data and special devices to grow more food and use their resources better. In a country like Nigeria, where farming is really important for the economy, these digital skills can really help with making sure there’s enough food and helping the country grow.
Future-Proofing Your Career
Because technology is changing so fast, it is really important for people to keep learning new skills. This is especially important in Africa, where there are lots of people looking for jobs and many people do not have digital skills. Learning new things all the time is key to staying important in this changing job world.
One good way to learn digital skills is through online learning websites. Many of these websites offer free or cheap classes in different digital skills. While it can be hard to get internet access in some parts of Africa, there are learning apps for phones and course materials you can use without the internet that are making it easier for people to learn even if they don’t always have internet.
Getting used to digital skills is a do without in our current world. According to Coursera co-founder Andrew Ng he said in a talk that: “When I think about the rise of AI, I am reminded of the rise of literacy. A few hundred years ago, many people in society thought that not everyone needed to know how to read or write.“ Just as to-read and to-write was a crucial need for those of the past, learning new digital skills is a need for survival in our world today.
Meeting new people is also really important for growing your career in the digital age. Making friends with people in your job, especially those who are good with digital skills, can give you new chances and help you know what is new in your job. In Africa, this might mean joining groups for your job, going to tech meetups, or joining online groups about technology and digital skills.
It is also important to look for chances to use digital skills in your current job or by volunteering. This real experience is really valuable and can help you stand out when looking for jobs. For example, if you work in a regular store, you might offer to help set up an online store or manage the company’s social media.
The Human Touch in a Digital World
While digital skills are really important in today’s job market, it is important to remember that they work together with human skills, not replace them. Being creative, thinking critically, understanding emotions, and communicating well are still very important. In fact, as machines start doing more routine jobs, these human skills become even more valuable.
This is especially true in Africa, where being good with people and understanding culture is often really important. The world is not just binary between digital skills and soft skills. It is a combination of the two. The combination of both digital and human skills are important for success.
Also, being able to adapt and learn new skills quickly is maybe the most important skill in the digital age. Technology is changing really fast, and what is new today might be old tomorrow. Being open to always learning will help you a lot in your career.
The jobs of tomorrow are being shaped today by fast-changing digital technologies. For people working in Nigeria and Africa, this brings both challenges and opportunities. By learning digital skills, staying flexible, and mixing tech skills with human skills, you can set yourself up for success in this changing job world.
Remember, the goal is not to become a tech expert overnight, but to keep growing and adapting in a world where digital skills are more and more valuable. Start small, stay curious, and keep learning. Your future self, and the future of Africa, will thank you for it. As we go through this digital revolution, let us not just use technology, but create and come up with new ideas, using our skills to solve local problems and help African countries grow.
As Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, once said: “Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they’ll do wonderful things with them.” This reminds us that while digital skills are important, it is the people using these skills who will really make a difference in Africa and around the world.
