Undoubtedly, EdTech products are not as popular as FinTech and e-commerce in Nigeria and Africa. The pandemic, though, made us rethink the value of education and the way we teach. 2021 saw a significant change in EdTech and drives home the point that the sector is a very pivotal part of both the tech ecosystem and the country at large.
With teenagers and learners spending hours on the internet; on average, people spend 49.5 minutes on Snapchat per day. This shows just how much competition Edtech products have. In no particular order, this article will recap the EdTech products and services that made waves in 2021. You should read through if you have an iota of interest in that sector in Nigeria.
EdTech Companies in Nigeria
1. uLesson
uLesson was founded in 2019 by serial entrepreneur, Sim Shagaya. The company curates curriculum-relevant, educational content targeted at students in the K-7 to K-12 segment and preparing for WAEC and NECO examination. This startup has raised $7.5 million in Series A funding.
This Series A funding round was led by Owl Ventures, a venture capital company with a focus on education as an investment category. Other investors in this round include LocalGlobe—also an ed-tech-focused investor—Founder Collective, and TLcom Capital , who are already existing investors in the company and participated in the previous seed round.
From a Medium article released by Sim, the goal for uLesson is to make primary and secondary education better and more affordable over the next 10 years.
2. Teesas
The mobile application introduces children to instructor-led online classes that help them learn the basic core subjects. These subjects include Mathematics, English and Science, as well as indigenous languages like Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Ibibio and many more. Just before 2021 ended, Nigeria-based Teesas secured funding of $1.6 million to expand to other African countries and launch a tutor marketplace.
3. Roducate
This is a comprehensive curriculum based e-learning platform launched in 2010. Roducate contains notes, videos, and podcasts for virtually all subjects across all class levels. You can also participate in tasks, competitions, and educational games to win prizes and rewards.
4. Pass.ng
Pass.ng helps students prepare for JAMB, WAEC, NECO, Common Entrance, ICAN, and Power examinations. They do this by allowing their users to practice past questions online via the mobile app, or by downloading their offline CBT software. Pass.ng has an impressive lineup of tests and resources. You can check them out here.
5. Passnownow
Think about the whole curriculum for primary and secondary school students, digitised! Yes, that’s Passnownow. With a plan, students and teachers get access to a digitised curriculum for self-studying and a platform for peer-to-peer collaborative learning.
6. Prepclass
Here’s a marketplace that gives you access to professional tutors for private lectures and lessons. You’d find primary, secondary, and IELTS tutors on the Prepclass platform. There are also tutors for a number of professional exams like ICAN, GRE, and so on.
7. ScholarX
If you’re thinking about education financing in Africa, ScholarX is your best bet. The platform, driven by providing quality education for the next billion, connects African youths to funding sources that allow them to access quality education. Looking to raise funds for your education? Start a campaign here.
8. LearnAM
LearnAM is run by ScholarX. The platform provides easy access to learning various digital and vocational skills using a phone – either feature or smartphones. With LearnAM, after learning, you can do a test to measure competency, get certified, and be onboarded to the marketplace. The marketplace connects users to jobs, customers, and apprenticeships.
9. Utiva
Utiva is developing talents for the future of work. The company organises a number of fellowships to help customers master certain tech skills like Digital Marketing, Data Science, Data Analysis, Product Manager, UI/UX Designer, and so on. According to them, they are the “best way to gain job-ready expertise for the careers of the future”.