AI skills enrolments surge in Ghana, Nigeria, says Coursera report

AI-related micro-credential enrolments rose 95% in Ghana and 93% in Nigeria over the past year, according to Coursera’s eighth annual Global Skills Report 2026, ITWeb Africa reports.

The study draws on learning data from more than 300 million learners across Coursera and Udemy. It also showed sharp increases in enrolments for AI security, agentic workflows, critical thinking and complex problem-solving.

The growth coincides with government digital drives. Ghana launched a National AI Strategy with a US$250 million AI Computing Centre and the One Million Coders Programme, while Nigeria’s Digital Training Academy is training 32,000 people.

In the report’s AI-Human Skills Synergy Index, Nigeria ranked 81st globally and fifth among 11 sub-Saharan African countries assessed. Ghana placed 89th globally and eighth regionally.

Kais Zribi, Coursera’s general manager for the Middle East and Africa, said: “Nigeria’s learners are investing in AI credentials while strengthening the human skills needed to put their knowledge to work. The next opportunity is to make those pathways accessible to more people and connect them with employment and entrepreneurship.”