Karisit Digital Limited is entering Nigeria’s crowded education technology market with a proposition that is becoming increasingly important to African employers: train people for the jobs that companies actually need.
Its new platform, Tekademy, is designed to provide practical training in product design, product management, data analytics, software development, cybersecurity, cloud computing, quality assurance, business analysis and project management. The company plans to add internships, industry partnerships, mentorship, career support and professional certifications after its September launch.
The opportunity is substantial. The challenge is turning demand for digital skills into a sustainable education business.
Epaphras Adelabi, founder and chief executive of Karisit Digital and the driving force behind Tekademy, said the platform was created after years of seeing a disconnect between conventional education and the requirements of employers.
“The world is changing faster than ever. Technology is redefining how we work, build businesses, solve problems and shape the future,” Adelabi said.
His diagnosis is difficult to dispute. The World Economic Forum estimates that almost 40 percent of the skills required in jobs globally will change by 2030, while 63 percent of employers identify skills gaps as a major barrier to business transformation. Technology-related skills, including artificial intelligence, big data, networks and cybersecurity, are among those expected to grow fastest.
For Nigeria, the issue is more pressing because a large and youthful labour force is entering an economy that needs more technology-enabled businesses but still struggles to connect education with employment.
The Real Gap is Between Learning and Employment
Nigeria does not lack people who have studied technology. It lacks enough people who can demonstrate that they can use those skills productively.
That distinction is central to Tekademy’s proposition.
Abiola Olatunde, co-founder and chief operating officer, said the platform would combine practical training with mentorship, strategic partnerships and career support. Odunaola Salako, co-founder and chief product officer, said the programmes would focus on real-world projects rather than certificates alone.
“Every programme focuses on practical learning, real-world projects, mentorship and career readiness,” Salako said.
The emphasis on employability is commercially sensible. Employers generally do not hire because a candidate has completed an online course. They hire because the candidate can solve a problem, build a product, analyse information, manage a project or protect a system.
That makes project-based learning potentially more valuable than simply expanding the number of courses available to consumers.
The World Bank has also been examining Nigerian labour demand through online vacancy data, providing a clearer picture of the skills employers seek. The direction is important for education providers because curricula designed around employer demand have a better chance of remaining commercially relevant than programmes built around academic convention alone.
Nigeria’s Digital Economy Needs More Than Programmers
Tekademy’s programme mix is notable because it does not define digital employment narrowly.
Software development remains important, but technology companies also need product managers, business analysts, marketers, quality assurance specialists, project managers, cybersecurity professionals and data analysts.
This matters because the digital economy is not simply a programming economy. A technology company needs people who can identify a customer problem, design a solution, manage development, test the product, market it and measure its performance.
The same applies outside the technology sector. Banks, insurers, manufacturers, retailers, government agencies and professional services companies are all becoming more dependent on digital systems.
That broadens Tekademy’s potential market beyond aspiring software engineers.
Africa Provides the Bigger Opportunity
Nigeria could be the starting point, but Africa is the more interesting long-term market.
The World Economic Forum, citing research from the International Finance Corporation and World Bank, estimates that about 230 million jobs across Africa will require digital skills by 2030. It has also estimated that the continent could have roughly 650 million potential training opportunities and a digital-skills training market worth about $130bn.
Those numbers point to a large commercial opportunity for education companies that can provide affordable and credible training at scale.
But Africa is not a single education market. Internet affordability, electricity reliability, payment systems, language, employer demand and purchasing power differ sharply between countries.
A platform seeking continental expansion would therefore need more than a common online curriculum. It would need partnerships with local employers and institutions, payment models suited to different markets and credentials that companies recognise.
Connectivity Remains a Constraint
Online education cannot escape Africa’s infrastructure problem.
A learner cannot benefit from a sophisticated digital curriculum without reliable internet access, a suitable device and enough electricity to participate consistently.
Nigeria is investing heavily in digital infrastructure. The World Bank has approved financing aimed at expanding high-speed broadband and improving the country’s digital infrastructure, while telecommunications reforms are expected to encourage further investment in mobile networks.
For Tekademy, better connectivity could expand the potential learner base. But it will not remove the affordability problem.
This means the company will have to balance course quality with pricing. The platform must be inexpensive enough for young Nigerians and professionals to afford while generating enough revenue to pay instructors, maintain technology, provide mentorship and build employer relationships.
That is where the economics of edtech become more difficult.
Certificates Will Not Be Enough
The strongest test of Tekademy will come after the launch.
The company will need to show how many students complete programmes, how many obtain jobs, how many secure freelance work, how many start businesses and whether employers consider its graduates competent.
Those measurements will matter more than enrolment numbers.
A platform can attract thousands of learners through aggressive marketing and affordable courses. That does not necessarily create a valuable education company. The stronger model is one that can demonstrate a credible connection between training and income.
Tekademy’s planned internships, industry partnerships and career services could become important in that respect. They can provide the missing link between education and employment and give employers a direct role in assessing talent.
The company’s stated ambition is therefore larger than online education. It is attempting to build a pipeline from training to work.
The Commercial Test Begin Now
Karisit Digital has identified a genuine problem. Nigeria’s employers need digital talent, while many graduates and professionals struggle to translate education into marketable skills.
Tekademy’s answer is to put practical projects, mentorship and career preparation at the centre of its learning model.
That is a sensible proposition, but it is not yet a competitive advantage. Africa already has numerous online learning providers, technology academies and university-backed programmes competing for the same learners.
Tekademy will have to differentiate itself through outcomes.
If its graduates can secure employment, win contracts, build products and launch businesses, the platform could establish a strong position in Nigeria’s digital-skills market and eventually serve learners across Africa.
If it becomes another platform that measures success mainly by the number of courses sold and certificates issued, its impact will be harder to distinguish.
The opportunity is clear. The harder task is proving that digital education can consistently become digital income. That is the standard by which Tekademy should ultimately be judged.
