From Unemployment Statistic to Tech Star: Idris Abdulkareem’s Dream Job at a Multinational
"ReadyforWork was more than I could have afforded. I expected a regular MOOC/online course training style. But ReadyforWork Digital Career Accelerator was a unique and comprehensive learning experience."
Overview
Idris Abdulkareem grew up fascinated by science and nature, leading him to study geography at the University of Lagos, where he excelled in remote sensing (top 6%) and explored machine learning. After graduating with a BSc in 2018, he freelanced in data entry before joining a Nigerian eCommerce startup. But the company downsized, and he lost his job. His passion for data analytics drove him to ReadyforWork cohort 5 in 2022. The program transformed him from an unemployment statistic into a skilled professional, resulting in his current employment at Interswitch today.
Challenge
With a population exceeding 223 million and a median age of 18.5 years, Nigeria’s workforce readiness highlights tremendous opportunities and obstacles. The Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported a youth unemployment rate of 53.4%, primarily due to a mismatch between skills and job market demands. Additionally, a survey by the African Polling Institute revealed that 69% of Nigerians aged 18-35 would relocate if given the chance, citing economic difficulties and the pursuit of better prospects.
Recent IFC publications emphasize skills development programs and entrepreneurship support as key to addressing the skills gap and unlocking the economic potential of Nigeria's youth.
Stars From All Nations' digital career accelerator, ReadyforWork, is tackling these challenges through entrepreneurship and digital skills training programs. Idris says:
"Growing up, I loved the sciences and nature. That led me to study geography at the University of Lagos to become a researcher. As I explored this passion, I realized I was more interested in statistics, cartography, and remote sensing. I was among the top 6% that majored in remote sensing. I got my first exposure to supervised and unsupervised machine learning."
"I graduated from UNILAG with a BSc in Geography and Planning in 2018. I started freelancing as a data entry and annotation specialist. I created spreadsheets with over 3,000 customer orders in the client's database monthly – with 97% accuracy. After three years of freelancing, I decided to get corporate experience."
"I joined a B2B eCommerce startup in Nigeria. Although I worked in sales and supply chain, my true love was the data and analytics side of the business. I loved evaluating numbers and uncovering valuable business insights. My employer’s CTO gave me some resources and promised to consider me for a role if there was a suitable opening. But, the company started downsizing due to the ongoing macroeconomic conditions. So I took that opportunity to improve my knowledge of Data Science. I came across ReadyforWork in my research and applied for the October 2022 batch."
Solution
ReadyforWork provides cutting-edge, AI-assisted education and tools to help you learn in-demand digital skills and be seen as higher value when seeking gainful and meaningful work.
"ReadyforWork was more than I could have afforded. After only six weeks of coaching and training from a top-rated AI scholar, I graduated Ready for Work! I expected a regular MOOC/online course training style. But ReadyforWork Digital Career Accelerator was a unique and comprehensive learning experience. Unlike other programs, l was able to have personalized 1:1 sessions with a distinguished data science scholar." - Idris Abdulkareem
ReadyforWork provided Idris with a practical, industry-driven framework that bridged his academic foundation and professional aspirations. The program immersed him in real-world projects from actual companies, not hypothetical case studies. This hands-on approach allowed Idris to apply his analytical skills to solve tangible business problems, sharpening his technical abilities in software engineering and data science. The AI-assisted, project-based learning model gave him personalized feedback, helping him identify and address skill gaps while tracking his progress with data-driven insights.
The program’s emphasis on career readiness was key. ReadyforWork connected Idris to a top-tier community of peers and industry experts who guided him, enhancing his confidence and technical competencies like coding and data literacy—skills critical for a software developer role. By completing ReadyforWork, Idris emerged minimally viable for his dream career, equipped not just with a certificate but with a portfolio of demonstrated skills. This preparation made him stand out to employers like Interswitch, a leading Africa-focused digital payments company. The program’s network and practical training turned Idris from an underemployed graduate into a competitive candidate, securing his role at Interswitch where he now thrives as a software developer, contributing to Nigeria’s digital economy. ReadyforWork didn’t just teach Idris skills—it reshaped his trajectory, proving its mission to turbocharge careers with fulfilling jobs.
"The program didn't rely on the traditional method of just watching online videos and taking tests. But rather, it provided weekly seminars where we discussed the new concepts learned during the week. The seminars were an opportunity to share our experiences and gain a deeper understanding of projects we'd worked on. Overall, ReadyForWork's approach to learning was refreshing and allowed me to acquire the skills I needed for my career in a supportive and engaging environment." - Idris Abdulkareem
Results
Idris is no longer an unemployment statistic. He turned his life around with ReadyforWork digital career accelerator, even without being physically present in Ghana. He secured a job as a Food Product Analyst at Eden Life Inc., where he redesigned data architecture for food production operations, increasing real-time data availability by 50% and reducing system latency by 75%. He implemented an automated price trend monitoring system for high-cost SKUs, driving a 33% reduction in procurement costs, and engineered a scalable data pipeline for the homemade marketplace platform, ensuring 100% data availability. Subsequently, Idris joined Interswitch as a Software Engineer, Digitalization and Process Automation.
- New job as Food Product Analyst
- 100% satisfaction with course experience
- Apprentice offer from data science course admin
- 100% improved confidence to pursue a purposeful career
- New job as a Software Engineer at multinational firm Interswitch
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