When Adewale Yusuf stood before a small gathering at AltSchool Africa’s Lagos office on September 24, 2025, his words were not just about education, they were about life.
“I finished secondary school at 16,” he recalled. “But I couldn’t go further. My parents couldn’t afford it. That experience planted the dream that became AltSchool. The Nano-Diploma is another step to make sure no one is left behind.”
It was a personal story that set the tone for the unveiling of AltSchool Africa’s Nano-Diploma programme, a bold effort to make learning flexible, affordable, and accessible to Africans everywhere.
For years, AltSchool’s one-year diploma had opened doors for many, but it also carried a hidden challenge: its 20-hour-per-week structure proved too demanding for learners balancing jobs, businesses, or families. Yusuf admitted that in the race to achieve global accreditation, the school had become more rigid than it wanted to be.
“We have listened, and we are adapting,” he said with conviction.
The Nano-Diploma is the answer to that adaptation.
Rachael Onaja, AltSchool’s Head of Learning, Innovation, and New Markets, explained it simply:
“You could be a customer service agent today, and by applying what you learn from the Nano-Diploma immediately, you start seeing results, even before you complete the programme.”
And the programme doesn’t just shrink timelines, it shrinks barriers. Priced at ₦45,000 ($30), compared to the full diploma’s $290, the Nano-Diploma is intentionally affordable.
To widen inclusion, it will also be available in Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, French, and Swahili, opening doors for learners across both bustling cities and remote villages.
Technology is another bridge.
Emmanuel Ogunsola, head of Product and Engineering, announced that sign-up now takes less than five minutes, on any device, with payments possible in local currencies and through mobile money. Learners will also meet “Alti,” an AI-powered assistant that works like a pocket tutor, summarising lessons, creating flashcards, and recommending courses tailored to each learner. Yusuf called it “a school in your pocket.”
Beyond individual learners, AltSchool is seeking partnerships to provide scholarships, ensuring that cost doesn’t stand in the way of opportunity.
At its heart, the Nano-Diploma is more than just a shorter programme. It’s a promise, one that Yusuf and his team are determined to keep: that education in Africa will no longer be defined by privilege, money, or geography, but by possibility.
“Education should not be limited by money, language, or circumstance,” Yusuf concluded. “Our goal is to make quality learning accessible to every African.”
And with the Nano-Diploma, AltSchool is writing a new chapter in that story—one where every African has a chance to learn, to grow, and to dream.
