How Can I Start a Career in an NGO?

International development is a popular career destination for many young people. Graduates can be found working in this field in a variety of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), international organisations, consultancies, think tanks and academic institutions.

If you are considering a break-in or transition to an NGO career, here are 4 internationally-recognized programmes to help you stand out.

Enrolment window: September 17 2024 - September 30, 2024

Fee: N6,500

1. Professional Certificate in NGO Operations

This programme will prepare you for NGO jobs that address some of the most pressing issues focused around poverty, marginalization and inequality as well as programme implementation of donor-funded projects across health, education, water, sanitation and hygiene and other critical SDG focal areas.

The programme provides an understanding of sustainable development goals (SDGs), needs assessments, GPS mapping, data collection and analysis and programme implementation of donor-funded projects.As you complete each module of this programme, you will unlock real work scenarios to show you how a graduate at an NGO would approach each task. In this way, you will be able to build the skills and confidence to be successful in the highly competitive NGO sector.

2. Professional Certificate in Project Management

This programme is a comprehensive introduction to development project management. Designed for individuals who want to build or increase their skills in project management and who work or are looking to work with international development organizations, donor and public institutions, NGOs, non-profit and community-based organizations, and anyone interested in a career in development project management.

This training will cover the most important concepts in project management, such as the project life-cycle, process management, roles and responsibilities of a project manager, organizational structures, program and portfolio management and use of various project management tools.

3. Professional Certificate in Humanitarian Action

The humanitarian field is growing and changing quickly. The increasing numbers of people in need, humanitarian workers and budgets have resulted in massive growth of and demand on the system. These shifts mean we need new models of effective humanitarian assistance and more capable humanitarian leaders to develop and implement them.

This course is a rigorous professional development programme that will prepare you for highly competitive jobs in humanitarian NGOs and government relief agencies providing critical assistance to victims of armed conflicts, famines and natural disasters.  

This programme will unlock the international best-practices in working with people in distress, making decisions that will affect lives and livelihoods in complex emergencies and from incomplete and ambiguous information, often in a dangerous environment.

4.  Professional Certificate in Proposal and Grant Writing

This programme provides an understanding of and practice in proposal and grant writing for non-profits and foundations. The programme is designed for both novice and experienced grant-seekers. It is a comprehensive, hands-on training that covers researching funding sources and writing outstanding winning proposals.
With thousands of nonprofits organizations depending on grants for their operations, grant writers are in high demand in local and international NGOS.

Enrolment window: September 17 2024 - September 30, 2024

Fee: N6,500

Need advice on which programme to take or to discuss any specific requirements? Send a mail to: [email protected] specifying your goals and background and we’ll provide some suggestions within 1-5 hours.