ICT  GUYz  and alike out there please i need your help. Currently am a web developer in an IT firm, I hold an OND from a very reputable Polytechnic with an Upper credit in electrical electronic engineering. But due to my interests i entered web development, pursued PHP , MYSQL , JOOMLA, WORDPRESS, DRUPAL, HTML CSS ETC. Aside from that i also do pc repair / mentainance and LAN Networking. And Gues what, I am good at all these.

The point now is that i want to further my education and am stalk, as in i dnt know what to study. Should i go back for my HND and continue Elect / elect ? or should i pursue a 3 yrs ICT (network engineering) course with NIIT Which i have begin to have interest due to my dream to become a network engineer or a security expert? After the 3 yrs program with niit, i can further my education for a degree in either a uk based university or australian university, though thats not even the issue here, they (NIIT) said the diploma here in Nigeria is viable when it comes to finding IT jobs.

Guyz am 26 yrs old this year,and i dnt have a degree or a hnd and am a fellow Nigerian, Please you guyz should advice me on what to do i can give back in terms of tips when it comes to web design and development (I can even assist you in ur project ) Trust me for that.

1. the certifications you end up pursuing will depend on whats in demand where you want to work e.g. cisco for telecoms, oracle for banks, etc

2. even if the NIIT diploma can get you a job, you will get higher salary and benefits with a bsc

3. the issue here is hnd vs bsc. u have to have at least 5 certs with either so lets not consider certs

4. its faster n cheaper 4u to get ur hnd, but will it equate to bsc?

5. in case u cant afford d uk/australia bsc after 3 yrs diploma, would the 3 yrs not have been better used pursuing it locally?

6. maybe u do ur hnd, then use d hnd to get ur masters; all the while writing a cert exam every 3, 6, 9 or 12 months?

Thank you yamakuza. The program NIIT is offering is a Diploma program, the certificate is called graduate diploma in Network engineering, i dont have to get professional certificate to have this diploma, Niit awards it after 3 yrs.

Each semester also has its equivalent certificate too. These certificate exam is not different from the normal proffessional cert interms of questions, the difference is that niit set's it and no paying of any money, so its like some one testing him self before doing the real exam.

It also give one the ability to prepare for the real cert exam as the lectures are really the content of the cert exams.

I THINK I WILL GO FOR HND THEN, THATS MY FINAL ANSWER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH YAMAKUZA, BUT YOU GUYZ ARE STILL FREE TO DROP YOUR OPINIONS AS THESE WILL HELP A BROTHER OR A SISTER.

HND alone will not solve your problem.

its either u study for the certs on your own while doing your hnd, or u enrol for the niit program and pursue a (full or part time/open university) bsc program by the side.

i wonder if hr depts will equate those niit certs to their equivalent msft, oracle or cisco counterparts? what if u have to travel?

use niit for knowledge, connections, experience; but still write the cert exams.

Is it possible to study or do personal training on i.t courses like ccna,ccnp and rest of them?.thanks

Anything is possible. It will just take time and money.

You can buy books, buy videos, enrol in online classes, join forums like sadihkov and cccure, etc and if you have the dough, even setup your own router pod inhouse, lol! (you can also use simulators or rent a rack online).

It depends on whether you can learn on your own, if you can find answers when stuck and if you will remain focused and keep to schedule without someone to watch you.

Attending schools helps you learn from the real life experiences of those you meet, gives you a support group now and in the future and can save you time and money by focusing on only the essentials.

Hope that helps?