The importance of Education Technology, Edu-Tech for short, in modern day teaching and learning cannot be over-emphasized, especially now that ICT has taken a pivotal role in our everyday life. Today, there are many applications available for distant learning through online means, etc. I recently interviewed Wale Ogunjobi, Founder of Primaltutor.com.ng on the input of technology on education.
Wale Ogunjobi is a digital trainer, digital consultant and motivational speaker.
On ways that technology is assisting in solving some of the problems in our education sector, Wale is of the view that one of the ways is the reach which technology enables more people to have access to education and also allows some that are unable to afford to attend an institution or learning centre, can easily have access to an e-learning platform and learn from there. Another area that technology is assisting in solving the problems in the education sector, he said is in the affordability as most of the online courses are cheaper and affordable. A third point Wale raised is that, with technology, the barrier of distance has been broken as you can even learn without leaving the confines of your bedroom.
Wale concurred that the rate of adoption of learning platforms by the public is low and the reason for this may be because of inadequate policies. He is of the view that, if there are policies on ground to support Edu-Tech, this might be a plus for the sector in terms of patronage. He, however, stated that there has been some improvement in patronage in recent times.
Stating some of the problems his startup, Primaltutor.com.ng is solving, Wale stated that, apart from educating people, his platform is trying to solve the platform of unemployment as the platform has so far absorbed over 300 tutors that train on the platform. He stated that the process of certifying these trainers involves going through series of tests, interviews, etc., as the platform only seeks to ensure that the trainers on the platform train only in their areas of strength and competence.
As a Startup, Wale stated that some of the problems he faced when he started and which he is still facing include the issue of penetrating the market because of lack of trust as well as inadequate infrastructure.
Reacting to a question as to mentors working with him on his startup, Wale responded that he has been working with some mentors. He stressed that, for a startup to be successful, he needs to have a mentor to put him through on how to run the business successfully in the areas of marketing strategy, financials, etc. In his own case, Wale said he has mentors for different aspects of his startup.
Stressing on some opportunities he sees in the Edu-Tech sector that Nigeria is not yet seeing as a country. Wale pointed out the huge opportunities in terms of knowledge-based economy such as it is helping advanced countries like the UK and the USA. In those climes, he said, they leverage on Edu-Tech to platforms where citizens can study up to the PhD level without even stepping into the four walls of a university. Wale believes that government policies can really help to deepen and fast-track the Edu-Tech sector.
Wale is of the view that more startups should be encountered to invest in the Edu-Tech sector if we really want to solve the problems we have in our education sector and the startups should focus on taking on the Nursery. Primary and Secondary school levels while the tertiary level, which is a more advanced one, could be addressed as time goes on. He sees a bright future for the Edu-Tech sector as long as the right government policies to make it thrive are put in place as it is the next phase of education in Nigeria.
You can view the full interview here.
