Introduction

In Nigeria and throughout Africa, the aspiration for millions of young Africans to access effective, engaging, and quality education remains elusive. High costs have stood as a barrier, and dismal exam results in subjects like Mathematics and English have haunted students. To make things even tougher, the prevalence of social media has rendered traditional learning less appealing in comparison to the dynamic online realm. Moreover, governmental efforts to address these issues have been notably lacking. 

At Afrilearn, we believe in taking action rather than waiting for change. We created Afrilearn to empower every child in Africa to learn and succeed, revolutionizing education on the continent. 

Thanks to UNICEF Venture Fund's support from 2022-23, we've taken it a step further. We're not just helping kids learn; we're helping them fall in love with learning, paving the way for academic success.  

During the investment period,  our team has achieved some remarkable milestones: 

• Created an engaging, gamified app for students from primary to secondary school levels to learn easily and pass exams in one sitting. 
• Developed an AI-powered recommender system that helps learners progress from easy to more challenging content, personalising their learning journey. 
• Updated and improved a database with over 10,000 years' worth of national examination past questions. 
• Successfully onboarded 30,000+ students who actively use the app to learn and achieve the best school grades while having fun along the way. 

Transforming Education, One Student at a Time 

Afrilearn is designed to guide users through their educational journey, regardless of their starting point, making learning both enjoyable and effective. Whether it's a child struggling with Mathematics or aiming to pass the challenging West African Examination Council (WAEC) exam, our platform's smart algorithm meets users where they are, sets a clear path to where they need to be, and leads them there daily, all while making the process fun and engaging. 

Currently, thousands of students are already benefiting from our app, and we anticipate that within the next year, over 100,000 students from various West African countries will actively engage with our platform. This is a significant step toward improving learning outcomes and enhancing the exam success rates of countless African students, possibly impacting millions. Together, we're shaping a brighter future through education. 

From Prototype to Impact 

Our mission at Afrilearn is to transform Africa’s education, and our journey began with the development of a simple prototype that digitized the physical learning experience. This prototype evolved over time, with the first six months dedicated to crafting and testing the AI-powered recommender system. Later, we created another prototype that introduced gamification to the learning process. Today, we've merged all these elements into a unified education app that makes learning feel like a fun game. 

User Testing for Real Impact 

To ensure we were addressing a genuine problem, we engaged a sample of students preparing for university entrance exams. Instead of relying on traditional textbooks and past questions, they used the Afrilearn app. Many of them scored higher on the Afrilearn Mock exam before attempting the main exam, boosting their confidence and ultimately securing university admissions. 

The Power of Open Source 

Being open source has its perks, including access to a supportive community with diverse expertise. When we faced challenges with our AI recommender system, this community came to our rescue, solving a long-standing problem swiftly. 

Evolving Business Models 

Our primary focus remains on helping students, but our journey has revealed the need to integrate parents, teachers, and schools. This has led to a new business model where schools can leverage our platform to understand students' current levels and help them progress. In the next year, we aim to onboard 2,000 schools across Africa, creating a holistic educational ecosystem. 

Overcoming Challenges with Resilience 

The past year brought its share of challenges, including talent shortages and resource constraints. However, our determination to find solutions allowed us to persist and progress. 

Future Collaborations 

We're eager to collaborate with companies, organizations, individuals, and partners like UNICEF in West Africa to provide our solution to over a million children for free. Banks, corporations, and individuals can help by pre-installing our app on devices and sharing them in remote areas with limited educational access. 

Next Milestones 

In the upcoming year, our goals include growing the app to 2 million users, onboarding 1,000 schools in Nigeria, and 2,000 schools in West Africa, and achieving sustainability with a significant revenue growth. 

UNICEF Venture Fund's Impact 

The UNICEF Venture Fund played a pivotal role in bringing our solution to its current stage. Without their support, thousands of students wouldn't have access to our platform. Additionally, the fund provided us with invaluable mentors who guided us in shaping our business, product, engineering, and marketing strategies, elevating Afrilearn to new heights. 

Interested to connect with Afrilearn? Visit their website or follow via social media on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok, or Facebook.