Quick Answer Coach Ekwy is the founder of Digital Witch, a tech training community she started in 2020 with 34 students and no investors. A Literature graduate turned Microsoft Technical Support Engineer, she has since trained over 200,000 people across Africa in remote work skills like virtual assistance, customer support, and telehealth.

In 2020, Ekwutosi Okeh was working from a hotel.

Not as a guest, but as a remote worker, doing her job from a hotel room during the COVID-19 lockdown, like many others at the time. Somewhere in between all that, she had a thought that would change the direction of her life and eventually reach over 200,000 people across Africa.

"I started looking at the things I was doing and realised that almost everything I had learned was something another person could learn too, if they were taught."

As she observed what was happening around her, she started thinking about what she could do. People were losing jobs. Opportunities were disappearing. Women, especially, were stuck at home with no income and no clear idea of what came next. She thought, I can teach people what I know.

That was the beginning of Digital Witch.

Before the Community

Before Digital Witch, Ekwutosi, known as Coach Ekwy, was a Technical Support Engineer working with Microsoft through Tek-Xperts. She spent almost three years there, solving technical problems and working with different Microsoft products. She was also a DevOps Engineer and Customer Success Analyst.

She studied Arts Education at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, with a major in Literature. She didn't have a tech degree or a computer science background. She was someone who loved learning and teaching, and over time had become very good at technology by doing the work.

"A teacher is a teacher. My education prepared me for this journey in ways I didn't fully appreciate at the time."

Her background in Literature also helped her explain complex ideas in simple language. "Almost like explaining it to a five-year-old," she says. That ability would become one of Digital Witch's most important strengths.

The Day She Started

She didn't start big. There were no investors, business plan or roadmap. She started with 34 students.

Most of them were women, and that was intentional. The problem she wanted to address was specific: unemployment and financial dependence, especially among women who felt that getting married or having children meant the end of their professional life.

"I wanted to show them that marriage, motherhood, or where they lived didn't have to stop them from building a career."

The first training was priced at twenty five thousand naira. Some students paid ten thousand. The money wasn't the point. What mattered was reaching people and actually helping them.

"I understood the people I was teaching because I came from a similar place. I understood what it felt like to want an opportunity and not necessarily know where to start."

She used her own salary to fund the community. Her income as a DevOps Engineer and Customer Success Analyst paid for the tools, platforms, internet, electricity and everything else.

"I didn't start Digital Witch with investors or a huge amount of capital. I started with what I had."

What Happened to Those First 34

Five years later, as far as she knows, every single one of those 34 students is either currently working or running something of their own. Most have relocated abroad, to the UK and Canada, with their families. Others have built remote careers, started businesses, or become trainers themselves.

"When I look back at those first 34 students, it reminds me that Digital Witch started very small. I wasn't thinking about the thousands of people we would eventually reach. I was simply focused on teaching a small group of women skills that could help them create better opportunities for themselves."

The Challenges Nobody Prepared Her For

Growing a community can sound exciting from the outside. From the inside, it comes with a different set of realities.

Some students arrived without knowing how to use a laptop. Before the actual training could begin, she had to teach them the basics: how computers work, how to use tools and how to navigate the internet. It meant more work and more patience.

"I had to learn how to meet people at their level and find different ways to explain the same concept until it made sense to them."

The financial pressure was real in the early days, even though her income covered the expenses. There were developers who took months longer than promised, infrastructure that had to be built as the community grew, and systems that had to be rebuilt when they stopped working.

But there was never a moment when she thought about quitting.

"Giving up or stopping is not in my dictionary. And I hope it isn't in my students' either."

Why Remote Work

She chose remote work because she had experienced both sides and knew which one she preferred.

Before COVID, she commuted in Lagos. She would wake up at 4:20 in the morning, spend hours in traffic and come home late. She was also robbed multiple times on her way to work.

"When I experienced working remotely, I realised I didn't want to go back to that lifestyle if I didn't have to."

Remote work gave her flexibility and safety. It also gave her the freedom to travel while still working, while fitting with the genuine love of technology she had been developing for years.

"For me, it wasn't just 'why remote work?' It was more like, 'why wouldn't I choose remote work when it gives me the career, flexibility, safety, and freedom that I want?'"

One of the biggest misconceptions she had to deal with when she started was the belief that global companies would not hire Nigerians for remote roles.

"I heard things like 'you must have a VPN' or 'nobody will hire you because you're in Nigeria.' She knew that wasn't true. She had seen the evidence herself, and she wanted her students to see it too."

The Student Who Changed Everything

She has hundreds of student success stories, but there is one she thinks about most often.

A woman joined Digital Witch without knowing how to properly use a laptop. Today, she earns in foreign currency. She has bought properties, built a duplex, and she is a single mother.

"When I think about where she started and where she is today, it reminds me of why I started Digital Witch in the first place."

There are other stories too. A woman who relocated herself, her husband, and their three children to Canada using the income she built through Digital Witch. Students who secured jobs and moved to the Netherlands, Malta and the UK. Students who funded their master's degrees abroad. Students who were over 50 when they started and now work and earn remotely.

"Every time I see someone move from struggling to earning, from uncertainty to confidence, or from dreaming about relocation to actually getting on that plane, my heart is full."

She compares that feeling to what a mother feels when she watches her children grow up and succeed. "It makes me feel like my life is worthwhile. Like I'm actually living a meaningful life because other people are succeeding because I exist."

Her Father

A lot of who she is, she says, comes from her father, Papa Ekwy. He never attended university, but she describes him as incredibly intelligent, innovative and wise.

Growing up, he taught her that she could knock on any door, walk into any office and belong in any room. If she was there, she deserved to be there.

"He taught me to believe in myself. To understand that my limitations were not reasons I couldn't succeed."

She also traces the values that run through Digital Witch back to him: honesty, accountability, keeping your word and genuinely caring about people.

"When I look at Digital Witch today, I see a lot of my father's influence in it. He didn't just teach me to believe in myself. He taught me how to help other people believe in themselves too."

Where Tech Has Taken Her

Tech has taken her to places she never imagined. Her first international trip was sponsored by her company. At least four of her international trips have been company-sponsored. This year, Digital Witch is taking her to Egypt as a keynote speaker at a tech conference.

"I love the experiences that come with it. Meeting new people. Learning from different cultures. Trying different food. Hearing different languages. Seeing the world from new angles."

She wants her students to have that kind of exposure too. That is part of the reason she keeps building.

What She Wants People to Know

"Learning has to come before earning. A lot of people come focused mainly on the outcome: how quickly can I get a job? How quickly can I start earning? And I understand that. But sometimes that focus makes people miss the actual learning process."

She wants students to come with an open mind. Attend the classes. Ask questions. Practise. Make mistakes and learn from them.

"Don't just learn because you want a job. Learn because you want to become good at what you do. The job and the money can come, but you have to build the foundation first."

And for anyone sitting on the fence about joining Digital Witch, her message is simple.

"Don't let fear make the decision for you. Some of our students started without even knowing how to properly use a laptop, and today they are working, earning, and building careers. Your current situation does not have to be your final destination."

Where Digital Witch Is Going

In five years, she wants Digital Witch to be one of the leading tech and digital skills hubs in Nigeria and across Africa. She wants global companies actively partnering with the community to hire graduates. She also wants the platform to be simple enough that anyone can come online, learn a skill, and know exactly what to do next.

She is also preparing to launch a dedicated Cybersecurity programme in early 2027. The Customer Success Management and Account Management training is expanding. AI support and DevOps continue to grow.

"What excites me most is continuing to create programmes that are practical, relevant to the global job market, and can give people access to real career opportunities. It's not just about adding more courses. It's about creating more pathways."

"I believe Africa's talent is going to become an even bigger part of the global remote workforce. We have young people who are hungry to learn, build, create, and make an impact. With the right support, Africa can become one of the major talent hubs for the global economy."

Coach Ekwy has been building toward that future for five years, one student at a time. And she is not close to done.

Want to Learn These Skills or Take the Programme Again?

The Digital Witch IT Support Programme covers Virtual Assistance, Customer Support, Telehealth Support, Airbnb Management, Tech Sales, Telemarketing, AI Tools, Upwork setup, and interview preparation. All in 6 to 7 weeks of live training.

Whether you are joining for the first time or coming back to sharpen your skills, visit digitalwitchng.com/training to enrol or retake the programme.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Coach Ekwy and what is Digital Witch?

Coach Ekwy is Ekwutosi Okeh, the founder of Digital Witch. She started the community in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown to teach women practical tech skills for remote work. Today Digital Witch has trained over 200,000 people across Africa.

What did Coach Ekwy study?

She studied Arts Education at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, with a major in Literature. She does not have a computer science or tech degree. She learned technology through hands-on experience while working as a Technical Support Engineer and DevOps Engineer.

How did Digital Witch start?

Coach Ekwy started Digital Witch in 2020 with 34 students, mostly women, and no investors or business plan. She used her own salary from her remote jobs to fund the training, charging as little as ten to twenty five thousand naira per student.

How many students has Digital Witch trained?

Since 2021, Digital Witch has trained over 200,000 students across Africa and beyond. The community includes people from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Africans living in the UK, US, and Canada.

What is the Digital Witch IT Support Programme?

It is a 6 to 7 week live online training that covers Virtual Assistance, Customer Support, Telehealth Support, Airbnb Management, Tech Sales, Telemarketing, AI Tools, Upwork setup, and interview preparation. Students pay in Naira and receive a verifiable certificate.

Does Coach Ekwy have a tech background?

Not formally. She studied Literature and worked as a Technical Support Engineer at Microsoft through Tek-Xperts, and later as a DevOps Engineer and Customer Success Analyst. She learned technology by doing the work, not through a traditional tech degree.

What does Digital Witch teach?

Digital Witch teaches practical remote work skills including virtual assistance, customer support, telehealth support, tech sales, telemarketing, workflow automation, AI tools, and property management. The focus is on skills that lead directly to income.

What is Coach Ekwy's vision for Digital Witch?

She wants Digital Witch to become one of the leading tech and digital skills hubs in Nigeria and across Africa. Her goal is for global companies to actively partner with the community to hire graduates, and for the platform to be simple enough that anyone can learn a skill and know exactly what to do next.

References

  1. Digital Witch. About Digital Witch. 2026 [cited September 2026]. Available from: https://digitalwitchng.com

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