According to Cointelegraph, local experts discussed the challenges of blockchain education in Nigeria at the Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SIBAN)'s Digital Assets Summit 2023, held in Abuja. In a panel titled Web3 Education: Capacity Building, the group examined the current level of blockchain and Web3 awareness in the country and the obstacles encountered so far.
Bello Usman Abdullahi, the chief operating officer of the blockchain education platform Bitkova Academy, highlighted the language barrier as a significant challenge due to the complexity of blockchain technology and its jargon. Nigeria is one of the most linguistically diverse countries globally, with over 500 languages spoken. However, local blockchain hubs have started educating individuals unfamiliar with blockchain technology using local Nigerian languages.
Abdullahi emphasized the importance of helping individuals new to blockchain technology and Web3 understand Satoshi Nakamoto's intentions with the technology. He believes this is necessary to counteract the fear and negativity created in citizens' minds by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the government. In February 2021, the CBN severed connections between local banks and cryptocurrency exchange firms, which Abdullahi claims slowed the level of blockchain awareness in Nigeria and associated blockchain and crypto with adverse perceptions. Google Trends data shows that Nigeria has dropped from the top spot to No. 2 in the world in search interest for Bitcoin (BTC).
