For most Nigerians who want to learn to code, one major problem is to decide where to begin or which programming language to learn for the most career benefits here in Nigeria and outside the shores of the country.
As the world is going into the digital era with great pace, programming is fast becoming one of the best computer skills to learn right now.
As a programmer, I would be sharing my personal list of the best programming languages to learn in Nigeria right now. I’ve been in the world of programming for some years now and the data used in this post is solely gotten from my personal experience as a programmer in Nigeria.
Most times, I usually advise beginners in the world of programming to go with harder programming languages for a start. Although you may doubt if this advice is true but it is the best advice you can ever get as a beginner.
Learning a more difficult programming language when kicking off a career in coding helps you overcome major challenges you might encounter when learning other languages in the future.
Programming also has many aspects, branches, or subdivisions. These branches include mobile development, web design, and development, embedded systems programming, Machine learning, Data science, game development, and many others.
These branches have different programming languages used in them. For example, going into Mobile apps development (Android & iOS) requires you to learn an entirely different language (or languages) than you would use when developing or designing websites.
Without wasting more of your time on my introduction, let’s get down to the business of the day which is a list of the best programming languages to learn in Nigeria right now.
Best Programming Languages To Learn In Nigeria Today
Below is a list of the best coding languages you can learn in Nigeria to get jobs and eventually a good career as a programmer in Nigeria.
1) Python
Python is an interpreted, high-level, general-purpose programming language that was created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991. According to most Nigerian programmers, Python is one of the easiest programming languages to learn(I haven’t tried learning Python before so I can’t really say anything about this).
This programming language is used in most Nigerian organizations and if you’re planning to work for someone as a programmer in Nigeria, then Python should be your best bet.
Python is an object-oriented and functional programming language and is often described as a “batteries included” language due to its comprehensive standard library which is very easy for new programmers to pick up.
Real-world applications of Python include Web and Internet Development, designing awesome desktop GUIs, development of computer software, data science, and analysis, developing games, 3D graphics, and many more.
You can learn python from various online and offline programming tutorials. Popular online websites where one can learn python (both free and paid) are listed below.
- CodeAcademy (codecademy.com/learn/learn-python)
- Python official website (Python.org)
- Youtube tutorials from generous vloggers in the programming niche
- Through E-books
2) Java
Java is one of the oldest programming languages that never dies. It is one of the most popular programming languages amongst Nigerian programmers and it is loved by coders all over the world because it is a general-purpose programming language.
It was originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems which has now been acquired by Oracle Inc and released in 1995. It was created with developers in mind and it was also the first programming language ever where you could write your code once and run it on any computer.
Java is also the major language that was used in building the Android operating system we all know today. It is a language you must learn if you are interested in developing applications for the Android OS alongside Kotlin which has now become a major competitor in Android development.
I personally recommend you learn Java as your first language because, with the knowledge of java, you can learn any new programming language easier.
Java can be used to develop web applications (backend), desktop applications (for Windows, Mac & Linux), Android applications, embedded systems applications, games, APIs and so on you just mention it.
Just like Python, Java can be learned from major online and offline platforms. Many offline programming tutorial centers in Nigeria like NIIT, EIIT, HIIT, Aptech, and many more teach the Java programming language. Online platforms where you can learn Java are listed below.
- javaTpoint (javatpoint.com)
- Tutorialspoint (tutorialspoint.com)
- Java Code Geeks (javacodegeeks.com)
- Coursera (Coursera.org)’
- Udemy (udemy.com)
- Youtube Tutorials and many more.
3) PHP
PHP (Hypertext Processor) is an incredibly popular programming language amongst Nigerian web developers. It is mostly used for web and API development purposes.
Like Java, PHP is also a general-purpose programming language originally designed for web development. It was created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994 but it is now managed and maintained by The PHP Group.
PHP is also a very good server-side scripting language that is mostly used by web developers around the world. This programming language is known to power up to 85% of websites on the internet (including this website lol.).
Popular websites using PHP as their core technology include Facebook, Wikipedia, Yahoo, Flickr, Tumblr, Friendster, Canva, iStockPhoto, and many more. The popularity of this programming language can also be tied to the fact that it powers popular content management systems (CMS), like WordPress, Drupal, OpenCart, etc.
If you’re planning on specializing as a website developer in Nigeria, then you should consider learning PHP as it is the most popular language used for website development right now. Scripting languages like HTML & CSS should also be learned alongside PHP as these scripting languages are used in building the frontend of websites.
You can learn PHP from various online and offline programming tutorials. Popular online websites where one can learn PHP (both free and paid) are listed below.
- Codecourse (codecourse.com)
- PHP Official Website (php.net)
- Youtube Tutorials
- Killer PHP (killerphp.com)
- SitePoint (sitepoint.com)
- Lynda.com and many more
4) Javascript
Javascript is a scripting language that runs on the clients’ browser (client-side). It is one of the most popular programming languages in the world and Javascript runs on almost 95% of all websites on the internet.
It is also one of the three core components on the world wide web (others are HTML & CSS) and almost all web browsers right now have a dedicated JavaScript engine to execute Javascript.
One major thing you need to know about Javascript is that it is in no way related to Java. Java and Javascript solve entirely different problems and are used by different programmers for different purposes.
Javascript can be used for website development & design, server & API development, developing games, creating mobile and smartwatch applications, designing robots, and many more.
5) Swift
Swift is a programming language that was created by Apple Inc to help replace Objective-C as the major programming language used in developing applications for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, Linux, and z/OS.
It is a general-purpose, multi-paradigm & compiled programming language that can also be used for many other purposes. Swift is also the main programming language to learn if you want to go into iOS application development.
Due to the increasing number of Nigerians who use Apple products like the iPhone, Apple Watch, and other devices in the Apple ecosystem, many companies in the country are now in search of Swift developers who can create a fully functioning native iOS version of their application (of which most times is already running on the Android platform) for their company.
Most offline programming tutorial centers don’t teach Swift so your best option is to learn the language online. Some popular online platforms which you can learn Swift include Youtube, Treehouse, Udemy, Lynda, Coursera, Udacityand may others.
Another thing to note is that you cant code in or learn this language without having a Macbook and this is so sad. But if you’re determined to be an iOS developer at all costs, then getting a Macbook shouldn’t a stumbling block for you.
6) C++
C++ is a general-purpose programming language that was created by Bjarne Stroustrup as an extension of the C programming language. It is currently one of the most popular programming languages in the Nigerian coding ecosystem.
This programming language has object-oriented, generic, and functional features in addition to facilities for low-level memory manipulation and It is mostly implemented as a compiled language.
C++ syntax is also very similar to that of Java so if you’re planning to learn anyone before the other, you wouldn’t be having many problems when it comes to the syntax and general style of coding.
Some things C++ can be used for include Application development, game development, animation, creating web browsers, programming embedded systems, and circuits, creating operating systems, and many more.
7) Kotlin
Kotlin is a new programming language introduced by Google & Jetbrains in 2017 mainly for Android development and it is currently growing at top speed. This language is fast becoming the preferred language by Android developers in making Android applications over Java.
It was introduced in a bid to replace Java as the major language used for Android development. Kotlin was designed to interoperate fully with Java, and the JVM version of its standard library depends on the Java Class Library.
Kotlin was the fourth most loved programming language according to the 2019 StackOverflow survey and many top companies like Pinterest, Coursera, Netflix, Uber, Square, & Trello have started integrating the Kotlin technology into their Android applications.
Best places to learn Kotlin online include Google Android developer Documentation, Udemy, Lynda, Antonio Leiva Blog, Ebooks, Youtube Channels, and many more.
