In this episode, we welcome Onyedika Nwoji, who has completed two CFI certifications. Onyedika shares his journey from working as a monitoring and evaluation analyst at an NGO to becoming a skilled data analyst.

He discusses his decision to focus on upskilling with CFI and the valuable knowledge he gained from the FMVA and BIDA programs. Onyedika explains how the courses enhanced his Excel skills and introduced him to key data analytics concepts like Power Query, Power Pivot, Power BI, and Tableau.

He also discusses his current role as a customer experience research analyst at Sterling Bank and how his CFI certifications helped him secure the position. Additionally, Onyedika shares his future ambitions, including training others in data analysis and pursuing consultancy work. Tune in to hear his inspiring story and insights on continuous learning.

Transcript

Sebastian Taylor (00:13)
Welcome to the CFI podcast. I’m Sebastian Taylor, subject matter expert and instructor at CFI. I’m joined by Asim Khan, also subject matter expert and instructor at CFI. But most importantly, we have with us Onyedika Nwoji who has completed not one, but two of CFI certifications. Thank you Onyadika for being with us today.

Onyedika Nwoji (00:36)
Thank you very much Seb, it’s my pleasure.

Sebastian Taylor (00:38)
I’m super excited to hear about your journey through these two certifications with CFI, particularly that starting point that you had prior and I guess what your ambitions were and what made you, I know you mentioned in our prior chats that you quit a previous job to actually begin this learning journey of yours. So I’m hoping to hear a little bit about what made you take that decision and how you found learning with CFI.

Onyedika Nwoji (01:07)
All right. Thank you very much, Seb. So before CFI.

I was actually working in an NGO on a CDC funded HIV intervention program, working as a monitoring and evaluation analyst. So basically I was in charge of data management, data cleaning, data analysis, and data reporting just to help improve processes and make sure that there are better outcomes in the project. So I worked there for over two years. And while I was working there, I was basically using Excel, even though my Excel skills were decent, but not

up to the level that I have now. So before then I didn’t know much about data analytics because if I was to discuss anything data in public, I had very little knowledge. So I knew that I needed to, you know, improve my skills. Also that I have a background in statistics, but I pretty much haven’t learned the fundamentals, those concepts in data analytics. So I decided that I would really need to upscale and that was when

CFI came in for me. So I decided to quit my job even though I didn’t have any other offer anywhere else and once I quit my job, the only job I had was to work on myself and that was how I found CFI and as God will have it was perfect timing for me as I was quitting my job I stumbled onto CFI.

Sebastian Taylor (02:32)
A brave decision to jump ship but it sounds like you knew that working on yourself was I guess the right thing or the thing that you wanted to do at the time. I think you mentioned previously that you studied with CFI through ALX. Could you tell us a little bit about that?

Onyedika Nwoji (02:54)
Okay. Um, prior to joining CFI, I really, I knew a little bit about ALX. So ALX, um, is like a training arm of African leadership group that was founded by Fred Swanika, a Ghanaian. So ALX basically did train young Africans to gain the in-demand tech skills like software engineering, data science, DevOps, and the rest of that. So before I quit my job,

I had a discussion with someone in my office, which was our finance and accounts officer. I told them that I really needed to know some finance and accounting knowledge as a data analyst. And she introduced me to the ALX FMVA program. And I got interested particularly because I was, I found that after the FMVA, there was also a bonus certification. That was the BIDA So I was actually going for the FMVA, but my main aim, my main mission was to get the BIDA.

Actually.

Asim (03:54)
And you did both Onyedika under the auspices of the ALX.

Onyedika Nwoji (04:00)
Yes, I did the FMVA first and when I was done, I got right into the BIDA program.

Sebastian Taylor (04:06)
Awesome! So you kind of got the best of both in working with that program I guess you got both programs. For the benefit of our listeners FMVA is our flagship program the financial modeling and valuation analyst certification and BIDA is our business intelligence and data analysis certification so both comprehensive programs so I know that’s a lot of work that you obviously put into those too.

I’m interested to know specifically on the BIDA side as I guess that’s the direction you’ve taken since what skills specifically did that open your eyes to?

Onyedika Nwoji (04:43)
Yeah.

So like I said, before joining CFI, before learning on CFI through ALX, I basically didn’t know much about the fundamental concepts of data analytics. I just knew Excel to a decent level. So like I said, I wasn’t confident enough to engage in any data analytics conversation. So when I learned on CFI, first of all, it was more like a self-awareness moment for me because I realized that I’m a visual learner

and CFI’s courses are well-created in such a way that you can literally learn without taking down notes. I almost never take down notes by just looking at the slides, the animations. I’m really getting what is being taught, the concepts. I’m getting it in a practical sense. So one of the skills I really picked up was, you know, the different roles in business intelligence and data science. I really never understood it until I took the BIDA program.

And then I go to understand more about data transformation, especially power query in Excel. I never knew about that. And also power pivot, how to, you know, model your data. It was a whole lot to learn because I got to learn about Power BI. I got to learn about Tableau. I learned Python for the first time, even though I knew a little bit of SQL, but I was able to really improve my SQL skills. But most importantly, most importantly,

What I’m learning on CFI took my Excel skill to a whole new level of insanity. So it was really great learning on CFI, like a whole lot of value packed up in that program.

Asim (06:21)
So…

That is so nice to hear, so nice to hear. So, Onyedika you have the two certifications for FMVA and BIDA I’m curious, is CFI still kind of in your toolbox? Do you still reference it now and then when you need help figuring something out?

Onyedika Nwoji (06:45)
Sure, sure. Like I still have my slides. I have my Python notebooks and some of the exercises we did because once in a while I had to like revert back to check maybe there are some things I’m missing out. I do that once in a while and some of the free courses because currently my subscription has expired. Some of the free courses I do go back to them to just refresh my memory on them and just keep, keep my knowledge fresh, keep my skills fresh. And I also do recommend CFI to

other people like just yesterday someone hit me up on twitter and i was giving them a whole lot of you know valuable content you could learn on cfi and it’s just something i love to do because cfi has quality quality courses and i’m not saying this to sell the market but me being a beneficiary i know what cfi has to offer and i really want people to know that what you get from CFI is world class.

Period.

Sebastian Taylor (07:46)
Very kind of you to say. We certainly enjoy putting the courses together very much. Perhaps we can fast forward to more recently, so since taking those two certifications, maybe you can tell us what you’re doing now. I know you recently got a new job at the back end of last year and perhaps you can tell us how the skills that you picked up either helped you in that interview process or are helping you on the job.

Asim (07:48)
Indeed.

Onyedika Nwoji (08:15)
Yeah. So currently, I work as a customer experience, um, research and insights and research analyst at a bank in Nigeria known as Sterling Bank. So, but we normally call it MCX for short customer experience. So, um, I actually been working this in January and, um, you know, really my knowledge from the BIDA certification and B, um, the BIDA certification really helped me in the interview because, you know, like I said, I was.

Not having those knowledge before CFI, but now I’m confident enough enough to talk about what I know. So during the interview, I realized that I was very confident about discussing like I go into interviews, like I’m having a chat, like a conversation just to learn about the business and the problems they are trying to solve. And yeah, they do try to ask me some one or two technical questions. And with the knowledge I got from CFI, I’m able to answer it very well. And I remember the last stage of the interview,

I had the interview with my group head of the customer experience and she actually made a comment and said that, you know, she’s kind of like impressed because of my resume. On the second page, I listed a whole bunch of CFI course certificates and specializations and all of that. And she was really impressed to see that I’m someone who is dedicated to a life of learning. And also I did a

project on Power BI had to do with HIV analytics. And during the interview, they asked me about it. And I just told them what I did. And now I’m working at the job. My department head actually told me that that project I did was one of the things that really got him interested in giving me that role in the insights and research. So, I mean, what I learned on CFI really, really has given me that value

Sebastian Taylor (10:13)
It’s awesome.

Onyedika Nwoji (10:15)
that I have to offer in the marketplace.

Sebastian Taylor (10:16)
Yeah, yeah you see a lot of, um…

That’s great. Yeah, you see a lot of people comment these days that not just having skills, but obviously demonstrated projects that you’ve worked on is key to getting a job in the field. Just one more question for you before we sign off. I’m curious if you have any plan or ambitions as to where you want to go next with your data analysis or what role you’re perhaps aiming for.

Onyedika Nwoji (10:45)
Right. Um, currently, aside from my job, I do a lot of training in data analysis, specifically Excel, because I like to be the person to help, you know, people who are trying to transition into data analytics, start their journey. And we all know that Excel is the starting point. So I’m privileged to be helping a lot of people do that. I also have a growing community and in the future, I mean, obviously I intend to improve my skills and I also intend to do a lot of consultancy.

Sebastian Taylor (11:05)
Mm-hmm.

Onyedika Nwoji (11:15)
The future and maybe lead a data analytics team and keep going on from there. But the most important thing is that I really want to impact lives with what I have gotten, the skills that I have, the knowledge that I have. I want to pass it down to people and I’m already doing that, but there’s a whole lot more for me to do. So that will require me learning and improving myself more, reinventing myself more. And the sky will always be the beginning if I can continue on that line.

Asim (11:44)
Excellent.

Sebastian Taylor (11:45)
Well I can certainly see how dedicated you are to that continuous learning and you obviously have lots of ideas of where you might go so that’s great and best of luck. I think that’s…

Asim (11:57)
I wish you all the best in the journey Onyedika.

Onyedika Nwoji (11:59)
Thank you very much.

Sebastian Taylor (12:01)
I think that’s probably all we’ve got time for today. So thank you so much for joining us. We love having learners on and being able to hear about their stories. So thank you so much, Onyedika

Onyedika Nwoji (12:16)
Thank you very much, Sebastian. And thank you, Asim.