Empower Future Initiative Partners with Coursera to Provide 500 Free Digital Skills Scholarships for Underserved Nigerian Youth

Nigeria

Empower Future Initiative (EFI) is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Coursera, one of the world’s leading online learning platforms, to provide 500 fully funded digital skills scholarships to young people from underserved communities across Nigeria.

This initiative is designed to close Nigeria’s growing digital skills gap and unlock sustainable economic opportunities for youth who lack access to quality education and career pathways.

Through this partnership, selected learners gain free access to over 16,000 globally recognized courses and professional certificates offered by world-class institutions such as Google, Meta, IBM, Yale University, and the University of London, among many others.

Some of the featured programs include

Removing Barriers to Learning: The 2GB Weekend Data Grant

To ensure learners stay consistent and complete their courses, EFI is introducing a unique 2GB Weekend Data Grant, an independent initiative by EFI. Beneficiaries receive at least 2GB of internet data every weekend, helping to overcome one of the biggest barriers to online learning in Nigeria: connectivity costs.

“Access to online education means little without access to the internet. Our data grant is our way of showing commitment to learner success,”
Ikechukwu Kelechukwu, Founder & Executive Director, Empower Future Initiative

Beyond Courses: Preparing Youth for Work

In addition to free courses, beneficiaries receive:

  • Career guidance and mentorship

  • Job-readiness and employability support

  • Exposure to in-demand digital career pathways such as Data Analysis, Web Development, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, AI, UI/UX Design, and Project Management

Call for Donors & Partners

EFI is calling on corporate sponsors, donors, and development partners to support this initiative by funding:

  • Weekend data grants

  • Mentorship and career coaching sessions

  • Expansion of future scholarship cohorts

Join Us in Making Learning Accessible

Your donation helps remove barriers, unlock potential, and equip Nigerian youth with skills for the future.

“If we can support 500 learners today, we can support 5,000 in the coming years with the right partners,” said Chioma Samuel, EFI’s Education & Skills Development Lead.

Application Update

  • Cohort 1: Successfully completed with a high learner success rate

  • Cohort 2: Now open with limited slots (100 learners only)

  • Selected applicants pay a one-time administrative & commitment fee of ₦10,000 after successful selection

  • Selection may be automatic for applicants who meet the eligibility criteria

Together, we can transform lives: one skill, one learner, and one opportunity at a time.