This report highlights a reality that people are coming to accept all over the world – including Africa – about the increasing popularity of online courses amongst people seeking tertiary level education. As tuition fees keep rising, those who cannot afford them are embracing the use of remote learning web based resources that a growing number of institutions now offer.

Why online courses are trending

Hundreds of university students in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa and other African countries took to the streets last year to protest against high tuition fees, lack of equal access to education and inferior learning environments at their learning institutions. The clashes, which disrupted the universities’ academic calendars, highlighted the harsh conditions students face on the continent.

To put it into perspective, only about 6% of young people in sub-Saharan Africa are enrolled in higher education institutions, according to a 2015 report by the Africa-America Institute (AAI), a US-based organization that seeks to foster relations between Africa and the United States through higher education.