Finishing secondary school and then waiting for JAMB results, post-UTME or admission can mean months with nothing planned. Once the results are in, the free JAMB score calculator (https://schoolregistry.ng/jamb-score-calculator) helps you work out where you stand. The months around it are worth planning too. Many young people spend that time scrolling their phones. A few use it to learn something that will help them for years.
Computer skills are the best use of that gap. They are useful in university, useful in almost any office, and they cost nothing to start learning if you know where to look.
Why the waiting months matter
Think about what happens on the first day of university. Lecturers send notes by email. Assignments are typed in Word. Group projects need presentations. Course registration and results are online. A student who already knows how to manage files, type properly and format a document starts with less stress.
The same applies to young people who go straight into work, apprenticeships or family business. Employers expect staff to write a clean email, handle a spreadsheet and put together a simple presentation. These are basic expectations in many workplaces, and people who already have them tend to settle in faster.
The skills worth building first are straightforward:
- Computer basics, including files, folders, the internet and staying safe online
- Word, for letters, reports and assignments
- Excel, for lists, budgets and simple calculations
- PowerPoint, for presentations
- AI tools, for research, drafting and checking your own work
What about teachers?
Teachers need these skills just as much. Typing lesson notes, preparing scheme-of-work tables in Excel, building slides for class and using AI tools to plan lessons all save time that can go back to students. Teachers who are comfortable on a computer also find it easier to handle school records and online communication with parents.
Many teachers learned on the job, with gaps nobody ever filled. A short, free, self-paced course lets them fill those gaps privately, in the evenings, without taking time out of school.
Introducing the SchoolRegistry Academy scholarship
SchoolRegistry has set aside 2,000 free places in Nigeria on the SchoolRegistry Academy. The courses are short and self-paced, so you study when it suits you. Lessons open on a phone, and a computer helps for the Excel and Word practice.
The courses on offer are:
- Computer Basics
- Excel
- Word
- PowerPoint
- AI
- Exam practice for JAMB, WASSCE and BECE
Exam practice sits beside the computer courses on purpose. A school leaver can sharpen their JAMB preparation and build practical skills in the same few weeks. You can already try the free JAMB and WASSCE practice questions and mock exams (https://schoolregistry.ng/academy/practice) today, before the scholarship opens.
What scholars are asked to do
The scholarship is free, and it comes with a few simple conditions. Scholars finish their courses within 6 weeks, share their certificate, and leave a review of their experience. That keeps places moving to people who will use them, and it helps the next learner decide whether the Academy is right for them.
The Academy does not promise jobs. What it offers is a set of skills and a certificate you can show. What you do with them is up to you, and they will count for more than an empty gap.
Who this is for
You do not need to have studied computers before. The Computer Basics course starts from the beginning, so a school leaver who has only ever used a phone can follow it. Someone who already types well can skip ahead to Excel or AI. Teachers who feel behind on technology are welcome too, and nobody will mark you down for asking a basic question.
How to get the most from your places
Pick one course at a time and finish it before starting the next. Practise on real tasks as you learn. Write your CV in Word, set up a small budget in Excel, or make a short presentation about your community in PowerPoint. Skills stick when you use them for something that matters to you, and you will have finished work to show for it.
How schools can take part
Schools can nominate students and teachers. If you are a principal, a head of ICT or a teacher who knows pupils with time on their hands after their final exams, this is a practical way to point them somewhere useful. Teachers can also be nominated, so a school can put its own staff through the courses alongside its leavers.
When and how to apply
Applications open in mid-October 2026 at schoolregistry.ng/academy (https://schoolregistry.ng/academy). Places are limited to 2,000, so it makes sense to check the page early and have your details ready.
Before you apply, decide when in the day you will study. Six weeks passes quickly, and the people who finish are usually the ones who set aside a regular hour. A phone and data are enough to begin, and access to a computer, at home, school or a business centre, makes the practice easier.
If you are a parent reading this, pass it on to a son, daughter or relative who has just left school. If you are a teacher, consider signing up yourself. The gap months will pass either way, and this is a way to make them count.
Frequently asked questions
Is the SchoolRegistry Academy scholarship really free?
Yes. The 2,000 self-paced places cost nothing. Scholars are asked to finish within 6 weeks, share their certificate and leave a review.
Who can apply?
Secondary school leavers, students waiting for admission and teachers in Nigeria. Schools can also nominate students and staff.
Which courses are covered?
Computer Basics, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, AI, and exam practice for JAMB, WASSCE and BECE.
When do applications open?
Mid-October 2026, at schoolregistry.ng/academy (https://schoolregistry.ng/academy).
SchoolRegistry is Nigeria’s free school directory, helping parents find and compare schools across all 36 states and the FCT. Its Academy offers free self-paced digital skills courses to school leavers and teachers. schoolregistry.ng
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.