Startup Teaches Young Nigerians to Program Websites on Smartphones
2021-06-01
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Samuel Anyaele is teaching young Nigerians computer skills using their smartphones.
2The goal is to give them the ability to find a job anywhere in the world
3Anyaele often tells his students that everything they need to write software code can be found on their cellphones.
4He writes code for websites on his phone.
5He then shows the code to his students in a small classroom in Lagos, Nigeria.
6His students can look up at a big screen and down at the smaller one in their hands.
7Anyaele runs three-month courses to teach these skills.
8He said that they are giving students a tool to use even if they do not have a personal computer.
9Coding skills are seen by many young Nigerians as a way to earn money from employers anywhere in the world.
10Jobs are difficult to find in Nigeria.
11The country has 200 million people and two-thirds of Nigerians aged 15 to 34 are either unemployed or do not have enough work.
12Anyaele provides free classes to beginners while classes meant for professionals cost $210.
13He works for one of many companies in Lagos that offer to teach people who want to become software developers.
14The most widely known software training company is Andela.
15It has received financial support from Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg's Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
16Joseph Agunbiade is the founder of Univelcity which also provides training.
17He said, "if you don't find jobs locally, there are international jobs."
18Last year, the American company Stripe bought the Nigerian financial technology company Paystack for $200 million.
19And Flutterwave, a private company with operations in Africa, was valued at $1 billion.
20Chinonso Okafor is 20 years old and one of Anyaele's students.
21He is now building websites for employers.
22He said using his phone means he can continue working after his computer runs down when there is a power outage.
23Anyaele said some people struggle to see phones as anything more than a device to use for fun.
24He identified that idea as a mental block that many fail to overcome.
25He said, "They're assuming it's something childish, or something that isn't professional."
26I'm Jonathan Evans.
1Samuel Anyaele is teaching young Nigerians computer skills using their smartphones. The goal is to give them the ability to find a job anywhere in the world 2Anyaele often tells his students that everything they need to write software code can be found on their cellphones. 3He writes code for websites on his phone. He then shows the code to his students in a small classroom in Lagos, Nigeria. His students can look up at a big screen and down at the smaller one in their hands. 4Anyaele runs three-month courses to teach these skills. He said that they are giving students a tool to use even if they do not have a personal computer. 5Coding skills are seen by many young Nigerians as a way to earn money from employers anywhere in the world. Jobs are difficult to find in Nigeria. The country has 200 million people and two-thirds of Nigerians aged 15 to 34 are either unemployed or do not have enough work. 6Anyaele provides free classes to beginners while classes meant for professionals cost $210. He works for one of many companies in Lagos that offer to teach people who want to become software developers. 7The most widely known software training company is Andela. It has received financial support from Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg's Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. 8Joseph Agunbiade is the founder of Univelcity which also provides training. He said, "if you don't find jobs locally, there are international jobs." 9Last year, the American company Stripe bought the Nigerian financial technology company Paystack for $200 million. And Flutterwave, a private company with operations in Africa, was valued at $1 billion. 10Chinonso Okafor is 20 years old and one of Anyaele's students. He is now building websites for employers. He said using his phone means he can continue working after his computer runs down when there is a power outage. 11Anyaele said some people struggle to see phones as anything more than a device to use for fun. He identified that idea as a mental block that many fail to overcome. 12He said, "They're assuming it's something childish, or something that isn't professional." 13I'm Jonathan Evans. 14Angela Ukomadu reported this story for Reuters. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. 15______________________________________________________________________ 16Words in This Story 17code - n. a set of instructions for a computer 18screen - n. the usually flat part of a television or computer monitor that shows the images or text: the part of a television or computer that you look at when you are using it 19course -n. a series of classes in a subject 20assume - v. to think that something is true or probably true without knowing that it is true