Top 10 Best IT Skills in High Demand in Nigeria 2024

What are the Top Ten IT Skills in High Demand in Nigeria? Anyone with an IT skill will mostly work alongside with the Tech Team in an amazing information technology environment.

If you need such flair, I can say this is one of the best decisions you can make for yourself. Besides, techies are one of the highest paid professionals in any part of the world. If you need motivation, then the idea of getting good money should be enough.

If you asked me, I would say the best way to live in today’s ever-changing world is to live up with the trends and technologies. If you choose to live otherwise, you may be lost in the maze of life and your skills will no longer be needed.

In Nigeria, there are certain skills that when you acquire them, you will never depreciate but will continue to rise, until you top the chart in your chosen industry. These skills are in computing, programming, marketing, artificial intelligence, Blockchain, and so on.

We have much to talk about. So I urge you, therefore, to sit tight and read along carefully as I share with you these top 10 in-demand skills in Nigeria; I know you love opportunities.

Table of Contents

Top IT Skills In Demand

1. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence is the technology that deals with imparting knowledge, intelligence, and smartness in machines. Invariably, this technology brings many positive changes and growth to businesses, since machines can mimic human actions and intelligence and yield good results.

Therefore in 2020 and in years to come, many businesses will incorporate AI in their systems especially in the areas of data analysis and user experience. AI has earned LinkedIn’s number one emerging job spot. This informs the growing need for AI specialists.

The best way to place yourself in the booming market for AI experts is to grab the skills. There are different online training platforms that you can get on to, and hone your skills in Artificial Intelligence.

2. Machine Learning

Machine Learning is an aspect of Artificial Intelligence that can be taken as a whole subject. Machine Learning, therefore is streamlined to issues relating to devices making sense out of a set of data.

The technology keeps going: From virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa to predictive analysis and chatbots. There are already self-driving cars and machines.

The beauty of machine learning is that it can be applied to a wide range of industries including education, healthcare, trade, name it. Virtually, many industries will adopt machine learning and there are just a few experts in the field. It is not late for you to acquire the skills of machine learning and win the future.

3. Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is another high in-demand skill in Nigeria. Cloud computing involves the delivery of services in the forms of databases, data storage, servers, networking, or even software, over the internet.

Companies today run on data and these data are not stored in devices that can be manually accessed (like in drawers or office files); they are stored in the cloud; on the internet.

To ensure a great data-driven business, these companies need talents who will not only manage these data but also drive technical architecture, design, and ensure the delivery of cloud systems like Google Clouds and Microsoft Azure.

4. UI/UX Design

UI means User Interface while UX means User Experience. Although they belong to the same family, making sure a user’s goal is attained, UI and UX are different.

UI focuses on the visuals, ensuring that a product or software or website is visually appealing to users. On the other hand, the UX experts use analysis and research results to ensure that every element on the website or software of a company, leaves great experience to the users.

Customers or users can only return to a business when they love the first impression they got. The role of UX and UI designers are critical for businesses because if a user’s goal is not attained, it invariably means that such business has failed. So if you are such a creative person, who has the skills and resilience to do this type of job, why not get on to it.

5. Digital Marketing

In a simpler term, digital marketing is internet marketing. It is an aspect of marketing that utilizes the internet and online digital devices like laptops and mobile phones and various digital media and platforms to promote products and services.

Digital marketing employs skills in search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), content marketing, social media marketing pay per click (PPC), and so on.

It is not surprising that digital marketing is one of the best in-demand skills in the world today since people’s dwell time on the internet and different social media platforms keep rising. So as a smart individual who would not want to miss opportunities, digital marketing is one area you would want to get into.

There are good courses on Udemy and other online education boards that can walk you through the details of digital marketing.

6. Data Science and Analytics

Data Science and analytics is continually growing as the need to conclude from actual data is also on the rise. Real growth and the right decisions are based on what available data is saying, and that is the solution data science promises.

However, data science deals with the extraction of information from a set of data. This field goes into the preparation of data for analysis and the presentation or interpretation of the data in a more understandable manner.

It is no longer news that the world is drifting more quickly into a data-driven economy and obviously, it is not a piece of bad news for data scientists and analysts. Analytics and big data initiatives are also sprouting. Hence there are great opportunities for experts in data engineering and science altogether.

7. Cyber Security

This is an important subject for any company that collects information from its customers or deals with sensitive data of their own. The internet is built on codes (0s and 1s) and when you do not go the extra mile to protect your site, hackers will overwrite some codes, break-in and ravage your business and compromise your data. No company wants that.

As millions of businesses go online every day, more opportunities open for cybersecurity experts. These companies are in a lookout for talents that will ensure their data is safe and protected from malware and intruders.

Positioning yourself as a cybersecurity expert, therefore, becomes pertinent. So if you are in search of highly demanded skills, cybersecurity is one.

8. Blockchain

Blockchain came in 2009 to aid the use and transaction of cryptocurrency. But since then, dramatic changes have occurred and more novel uses of Blockchain technology have skyrocketed.

Blockchain can securely store information about the time of the transaction, the parties involved in transactions, and the ability to distinguish a block of information from another block of information. The need for this technology has been on the rise in recent years. Fortunately, I would say, the little supply of Blockchain experts is not enough to serve the available market. It is an opportunity and that is what is fortunate about it.

Although it is not an easy thing to learn; it is a worthy skill to acquire. It involves data management, programming languages like C++, Java, Javascript, Python, and so on. Blockchain is used today in Crowdfunding, identity management, digital voting, and so on.

9. Web/Software Development

Programming and tech skills generally are what will be highly demanded in times to come. I am not speaking down on the high demand for such skills presently, but I am rather buttressing the point that those with such skills will keep appreciating.

Writing programmes for web applications and websites as well as creating software applications that make life easier are great niches to crave for. The many technology companies must keep up supplying their market with new technologies and better ways to solve problems; companies that want to go worldwide will certainly need websites to promote their businesses.

So, those with programming skills like PHP, Java, Javascript, Python, C++, and the rest of those languages will surely be in the job always.

10. Video Production

Video Production has continued to be a priority, especially in content marketing. People love visuals (I mean who loves a boring block of text?) and would want videos than texts.

It is not just in the marketing industry, the entertainment industry also holds videos high. That is why you can see video production as one of those places you can hone your skills.

By 2022, as Cisco estimated, videos will have 82% of internet traffic. It is not in any way decreasing. So why sleep over it?

To Wrap It

If you can acquire any of the above discussed highly demanded skills in Nigeria, you will certainly be a hot cake. But be sure you do not make the mistake of trying to learn all of them.

Of course, being diverse is good, but being a professional in a particular thing is better. You would not want to be a jack of all trade and a master none. So, pick one or two and master; you can add up other skills bit by bit.

The top is reserved for you, so go explore and be a better version of yourself.

GistFocus – Information on Business, Career and How to Guide