• Learners will enjoy self-paced learning and better understand savings and investment in blockchain.
• They will be educated on budgeting, setting financial goals, investing and wealth management using digital tools.
Image: MARA
Mara, the Pan-African digital finance ecosystem, has launched an academy aimed at furnishing students with digital financial skills.
Mara Academy will see learners acquire knowledge on budgeting, setting financial goals, investing and wealth management using digital tools.
Mara co-founder and CEO Chi Nnadi said that the academy’s mission is to give every willing African the opportunity to learn skills that will qualify them for higher-level employment.
“Mara will be a critical ecosystem that will champion the African dream and build a more equitable workforce in the digital economy,” Nnadi said.
According to Gemini’s 2022 Global State of Crypto report, education is the most significant global barrier to digital assets ownership.
Nnadi said the fast-rising and increased usage of digital assets across Africa and beyond demands empowering Africans with the right skills and tools.
"Over 40 per cent of Africans are yet to purchase any digital assets due to a lack of trust and apprehension about price volatility. It is also because they do not understand how to buy and hold digital assets," he said.
He said it will also build a community of wealth creators, help them manage their wealth and create a future African talent pipeline.
“Prioritising financial literacy in Africa is important and the Mara Academy offers quality education, resources and opportunities,” Nnadi said.
Mara academy is set to achieve its mission through a series of pathways and an innovative curriculum delivery model.
Chosen partners will offer Africans equal access to upskilling education and a clear path to global opportunities.
They will range from highly skilled, multi-disciplinary technologists to non-traditional learners.
Mara co-founder and chief impact officer Kate Kallot said that the education program caters to anyone, anywhere and at any time.
“Through an innovative mix of delivery methods, partnerships and customisable content, we hope to meet people where they are,” Kallot said.
“We will create communities of like-minded people involved in digital finance and cultivating shared interests.”
Mara academy is designed and built with Africa-centric course content, providing lifetime access to all course resources.
These include instructors, videos, practice tests and capstone projects.
It will be built to educate more Africans, increasing the adoption of digital finance and blockchain technology.
The academy’s program consists of three content components.
This will include coursework focused on blockchain, developers and digital financial literacy.
As a result of a lack of education, digital asset scammers have targeted Africans with ponzi schemes promising to give lucrative returns.
They also promise to deliver above-market returns on staked tokens and yield farming eroding trust and interest in wider digital finance adoption in the process.