Practical Mathematics for Nigerian Life and Business

The maths you actually use — percentages, margin, ratio, algebra, break-even — in naira, step by step.

• Free
• Beginner-friendly
• 6 weeks · ~4 hrs/week
• 8 lessons
• ~2 hours
• Certificate on passing the project

Free account required to open the lessons. No card, no fees.

About this course

This is the maths class you should have had. Every idea is explained twice: first in plain language so you understand why it works, then worked all the way through with real Nigerian numbers in naira so you can see it move. You will estimate a market bill and catch a wrong quote, price for a target margin instead of guessing, share profit by ratio, mix concrete correctly, turn a word problem into an equation and solve it, rearrange a formula, find your break-even quantity, work out what a "5% monthly" loan app really costs over a year, and estimate tiles, paint, blocks and tank capacity. Every lesson also tells you exactly where else the technique shows up in your life, your shop or your building job. For your capstone you take a real situation you already know and produce a worked numbers file applying at least four techniques from the course, showing every step and stating the decision each number supports. If you were told you were bad at maths, this course is built to prove that it was simply taught to you badly.

You are standing at the counter, the POS machine beeps, and the total says ₦168,000. Something in your chest says that is too much, but there are four people behind you, the attendant is already turning the machine around, and you cannot prove anything, so you pay.

What you'll learn

• Estimate a market bill, a quote or a POS total in your head and spot a wrong figure before you pay it
• Price a product for a target margin instead of guessing, and explain why markup and margin are different numbers
• Handle VAT correctly on both VAT-exclusive and VAT-inclusive prices, and calculate commission and percentage change from the right base
• Share profit, mix concrete, scale a recipe and compare unit prices using ratio and proportion
• Turn a real money problem into an equation, solve it by balancing both sides, and check the answer by substitution
• Rearrange any formula to make the quantity you need the subject, and substitute values with matching units
• Calculate contribution per unit, break-even quantity, the units needed for a profit target, and what a price change or discount does to all three
• Compare simple and compound interest, and work out the true naira cost of a flat-rate loan or a rolled-over loan app offer
• Estimate tiles, paint, blocks, roofing sheets and tank capacity from real measurements, with a sensible waste allowance

Course syllabus — 8 lessons

1. Catching the wrong number before it costs you ₦9,00014 min
2. Markup or margin — the ₦408,000 a shop loses by confusing them15 min
3. One part, many parts — sharing profit, mixing concrete, and which sachet is really cheaper15 min
4. A letter is just a number you don't know yet15 min
5. One formula, four questions — making the unknown the subject14 min
6. The 474 loaves that pay the rent before you earn one naira15 min
7. What "5% a month" is really costing you by December16 min
8. Tiles, blocks, paint and a tank — buying enough and not too much16 min

Frequently asked questions

Is Practical Mathematics for Nigerian Life and Business free?

Yes. Practical Mathematics for Nigerian Life and Business is completely free on Skillnaija. You need a free account to open the lessons, and there is no charge for the course, the project, or the certificate.

How long does Practical Mathematics for Nigerian Life and Business take to complete?

6 weeks · ~4 hrs/week. There are 8 lessons, about 2 hours of material in total. You learn at your own pace and your progress is saved.

Do I need any experience to start Practical Mathematics for Nigerian Life and Business?

Beginner-friendly. You can start from scratch — no prior experience is assumed.

What will I learn in Practical Mathematics for Nigerian Life and Business?

You will build practical skills in Estimate a market bill, a quote or a POS total in your head and spot a wrong figure before you pay it, Price a product for a target margin instead of guessing, and explain why markup and margin are different numbers, Handle VAT correctly on both VAT-exclusive and VAT-inclusive prices, and calculate commission and percentage change from the right base, Share profit, mix concrete, scale a recipe and compare unit prices using ratio and proportion, Turn a real money problem into an equation, solve it by balancing both sides, and check the answer by substitution, Rearrange any formula to make the quantity you need the subject, and substitute values with matching units, Calculate contribution per unit, break-even quantity, the units needed for a profit target, and what a price change or discount does to all three, Compare simple and compound interest, and work out the true naira cost of a flat-rate loan or a rolled-over loan app offer, Estimate tiles, paint, blocks, roofing sheets and tank capacity from real measurements, with a sensible waste allowance. Every lesson is written for a Nigerian context, with examples drawn from how the work is actually done and paid for here.

Do I get a certificate for Practical Mathematics for Nigerian Life and Business?

Yes, but it has to be earned. You complete the course project — Your numbers file — a real situation, worked all the way through and submit it for grading. Passing the project issues a verifiable certificate; finishing the lessons alone does not.

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