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Accountant Arinzechukwu Okafor already had a senior management position when he heard about WorldQuant University. He was head of accounts at Supersaver Group, a fast-growing supermarket chain in Nigeria.

Looking for a chance to advance his career, Arinzechukwu decided to try WQU’s Applied Data Science Lab, a free 16-week program taught entirely online. The problem was that Arinzechukwu had little programming experience to prepare him for the challenging coursework.

“Prior to my enrollment, I had no knowledge of Python or R,” he says. “I had to watch the videos over and over before attempting any of the tests.”

His perseverance paid off, and he eventually passed all the exams. Since then, he has completed additional certificate programs at Google and the University of Pennsylvania.

“Completing the Applied Data Science Lab awakened my interest in data,” he says.

Now, he uses his skills to streamline financial reporting and deliver targeted training programs for accounting staff across all Supersaver branches. Arinzechukwu also has volunteered to give back to WorldQuant University as an alumni ambassador. Other alumni interested in the program can apply here.