Nigeria’s Bluechip Technologies has launched Primo Academy, a six-month programme designed to equip aspiring data professionals with the required skills to kickstart their careers in the data and emerging technologies industry. Bluechip is one of the leading providers of business application and data management solutions in the country.
The programme is open to both novices and experts with or without a technological background and living in Africa. The free, fully remote programme starts on 1st August 2022 and will run on a full-time basis.
Founded in Nigeria in 2008 by Kazeem Tewogbade and Olumide Soyombo, Bluechip Technologies is a business application company focused exclusively on assisting companies in planning, designing, implementing and operating business application solutions and strategies that are central to creating and maintaining a competitive business advantage.
The company has expanded to Ghana, Zambia, DRC and Kenya and specialises in data warehouse, analytics and enterprise systems for banks and telcos. Bluechip Technologies has worked with enterprise and infrastructure conglomerates including the likes of MTN, 9mobile, FirstBank, Access Bank and Lafarge.
The African tech ecosystem has exponentially grown in recent years, with future growth projected to accelerate in the coming decade. With more tech-enabled innovations being developed across the continent, there is rising demand for experienced engineers and Bluechip wants to help close this gap. Aspiring data professionals on the Primo Academy course will undergo training on the applications of data science and analysis as well as soft skills and business processes to ensure workplace readiness upon completion of the programme. Successful applicants will be enrolled in an immersive 6-month training programme with a curriculum that covers modules such as:
- Orientation and productivity
- Introduction to data analysis with Excel, SQL and Python
- Data engineering with big data technologies
- Data science and machine learning
- Data visualisation with PowerBI and automation with power platforms plus more
Participants can live anywhere in Africa, as classes will be remote, must be available full time for the 6 months duration of the programme and must have their laptop or PC with access to the internet. Primo Academy is offering the first cohort free data to enable full access and completion of the course. Graduates will be offered opportunities to work with the engineering team at Bluechip, as well as support with securing opportunities with partner companies across Africa and internationally.
Speaking on the launch and call for applications, co-founder and CEO of Bluechip Technologies, Kazeem Tewogbade says, “Over the years, we have found it enormously beneficial upskilling newcomers to the tech industry through our own business intelligence training programme, which takes graduates through a thorough process of upskilling in a broad range of areas relevant to our business. This is why we are excited to offer this proven approach through the launch of our own academy for data professionals. Primo Academy is an opportunity for us to continue our mission to plug the gaps in data professionals in Africa, as well as ensuring we continue to build our own talent pipeline, which is essential to our continued growth.”
Azeez Busari, Primo Academy lead, added, “Having joined Bluechip as a graduate intern about a decade ago, I know first-hand how essential a training programme such as this is in preparing data professionals to thrive in their careers. The curriculum for Primo Academy has been created to take anyone with a passion for learning, natural curiosity and tenacity to solve problems from novice to mastery. Our goal is to ensure that all participants will be primed and ready to nimbly navigate the world of data, confidently with the toolkit of skills and knowledge they will pick up over the six months.”
Bluechip is championing the prominence of African engineers in the global tech ecosystem and is on a mission to help develop thousands of talented data professionals for lifelong careers in tech. With the launch of Primo Academy, the team hopes to help solve the tech talent shortage in Africa, especially in the data space.
Applications are now open to be part of the first cohort and close on 22 July 2022 at 5 pm WAT and successful applicants will be notified on 27 July 2022.
