By Kingsley Adegboye

The NICHUB Capacity Development Centre has secured a Social Impact partnership with Coursera, a leading global online learning platform with over 375 leading university and industry partners to offer a broad catalog of content, credentials, courses, specializations, and professional certificates.

Coursera will grant African youth access to curated courses delivered by experts from leading universities and institutions worldwide.

The partnership marks a major milestone in NICHUB’s mission to close the skills gap and expand global learning opportunities for underserved young people across Africa.

Speaking on the partnership, NICHUB’s Project Manager, Damilola Adewunmi, described the milestone as validation of years of community-driven effort and a powerful step toward scaling opportunity.

She emphasised that limited access to world-class learning remains a major barrier for many African youths, and that partnerships like this are critical to breaking cycles of exclusion.
“Founded in 2018 by Nicholas Alifa, NICHUB began as a modest WhatsApp-based mentorship initiative created in response to a troubling reality. After speaking at a university graduation ceremony, Alifa observed that many students were academically qualified but lacked the practical skills, exposure, and confidence needed to thrive after graduation. Determined to respond, he launched a small mentorship group then known as the Capacity Building Network,” Adewunmi explained.
She added that, “the first cohort included just 19 students who received training and mentorship in entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, leadership, and social impact.
“What started as a small intervention quickly gained traction as more young people sought structure, guidance, and access to opportunity.
“Over time, the initiative expanded its reach and organisational capacity, evolving into the NICHUB Capacity Development Centre, co-founded by Israel Oriaku, Juliet Oriaku and Esther Alifa.
“Today, NICHUB operates as a structured youth capacity development platform committed to equipping African youth with relevant skills, mentorship, and workforce readiness.
“Beyond technical learning, the Centre integrates Mindset reengineering, character development, and access to global opportunities into its programs, preparing participants to demonstrate professionalism and responsibility in real-world workplace environments.
“The newly secured Coursera Social Impact Grant recognises NICHUB’s sustained grassroots impact and commitment to inclusive skills development. Through this collaboration, participants gain free access to courses spanning high-demand sectors, including technology, data science, business, leadership, sustainability, health, and emerging industries shaping the future of work, through its flagship programme, the Growth Mentorship Programme (GMP).
“As part of its next phase, NICHUB is actively seeking partnerships with organisations willing to host trained participants as interns. The Centre has established a structured training framework that equips interns with both technical competence and ethical workplace values.
“Partner organisations benefit from access to a ready pipeline of prepared interns, while participants gain the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in real professional settings.
“NICHUB is also calling on individuals and institutions willing to support unemployed and underserved youth who lack access to devices and internet connectivity required to participate fully in digital learning.
“The Centre is open to partnerships that provide gadgets, data access, and learning support to ensure that financial barriers do not prevent willing learners from participating.
“From a simple WhatsApp group to a platform unlocking global education and workforce pathways, NICHUB’s journey reflects how grassroots innovation can scale into continental impact. As Africa confronts unemployment, underemployment, and a rapidly evolving global economy, NICHUB continues to position skills, mentorship, and ethical training as essential tools for shaping a generation ready to work, lead, and contribute meaningfully.”