AfriLearn, a rapidly growing e-learning startup in Africa, has announced that ‘Lamide Johnson has joined its team as Chief Growth Officer (CGO).
‘Lamide brings a wealth of experience in the media and education sectors to the role, having previously worked for KTN Global Alliance Africa as Country Lead, the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub as Country Director and Ventures Platform as Director of Partnerships and Engagement.
With over ten (10) years of experience, ‘Lamide has designed, developed, and implemented digital skills, entrepreneurship, investment, policy, and capacity-building programs for startups and entrepreneurs, creating solutions for Africa’s urgent problems, promoting job creation, and providing access for communities. He is a Mandela Washington Fellow and a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Goalkeeper..
As CGO of AfriLearn, ‘Lamide will leverage his expertise to drive the company’s growth and expansion plans. He will be tasked with identifying new opportunities for growth and developing strategies to increase the company’s market share. ‘Lamide will work closely with the company’s leadership team to develop and implement new growth initiatives while building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders in the industry.
“I am excited to join the team at AfriLearn and contribute to the company’s mission of making quality education accessible to all Africans,” said ‘Lamide Johnson. “My experience in the media and education sectors, coupled with my passion for innovation, makes this an excellent opportunity for me to drive growth and impact across the continent.”
AfriLearn has experienced rapid growth in recent years, aiming to provide affordable, accessible, and quality education to Africans through technology. The e-learning platform provides video lessons, practice tests, live classes, and a personalised learning dashboard through its app, on the web, and via data-free dongles for students aged 5 to 18 across English-speaking West Africa.
“We are thrilled to have ‘Lamide join us as our CGO,” said Isaac Oladipupo, Founder and CEO of AfriLearn. “His wealth of experience and passion for innovation will drive our growth and expansion plans as we strive to make education more accessible to all Africans.”
Our team had a brief chat with ‘Lamide Johnson.
Could you please tell us about your professional background and work prior to co-founding AfriLearn?
I started my career with the Ventures Platforms as Chief of Staff and, later, Director of Partnership and Engagement. It was a great time working with Kola Aina, finding bold startups and supporting them to build smart solutions that solved urgent problems. I later joined the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, first as Deputy Country Director and later as Country Director.
I spent my time designing and launching digital transformation projects. It was great to see how we could leverage partnerships with international development and, more importantly, the convening of Ecosystem Support Organisations to catalyse impact at scale in the Nigerian tech ecosystem.
Once I was done here, it became clear to me that supporting a startup is much more integral to my passion, and I decided to join my friend – Isaac Oladipupo to build AfriLearn.
What inspired you to join AfriLearn, and how did it happen?
My motivation is simple – African children deserve a good education. One of the life-changing experiences of my life was enrolling in Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA. It was the pivotal moment I needed to accelerate my career.
Thanks to the Mandela Washington Fellowship for making this happen. Only 67 leaders were selected as prestigious African leaders, and we were all placed in US-based universities. That number only scratches the surface of the demand for education in Africa. If more people can get a chance to better education, Africa will be a better place. Young people will have the foundation they need to get decent jobs, and they can better impact their communities.
What is your background, and how has it prepared you for your role as Chief Growth Officer at AfriLearn?
I am skilled in designing learning management systems, learning materials, designing curriculum and learning content, and facilitating learning sessions. I am deeply rooted in the tech ecosystem, with active partnerships and networks that will catalyse growth. I have spent my time building brands from the ground up, and I bring all of these skills alongside business storytelling that will better place AfriLearn as a leading EdTech platform in Africa.
I have a Master of Business Administration, with certifications in Neuro-Linguistic Programming. All of these are very useful in my work as Chief Growth Officer.
Can you tell us more about AfriLearn’s curriculum and how it prepares students for the professional workspace?
One of the most innovative products we have built at AfriLearn is “Classnotes”, a disruptive e-learning platform that provides Complete Primary and Secondary Education content, which helped thousands of students to stay learning throughout the lockdown.
I am most fulfilled about this product because it gave young children (and teachers) access to education even during the global pandemic.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced driving growth at AfriLearn, and how have you overcome them?
Our stiffest challenge is the lack of adequate infrastructure for our students. To access our platforms, you require devices, internet and, more importantly, electricity.
To combat this, we have made all our courses available offline. We have also secured partnerships with Development Finance Institutions and Ecosystem Support Organisations, who are keen to support us by providing devices and internet to our users.
We are consistently exploring different models to help us give access to the most vulnerable and marginalised communities in West Africa.
What is AfriLEarn currently building?
We are currently working on leveraging artificial intelligence and gamification to increase the interactions and completion of our e-learning courses. We have carried out immersive surveys to understand the behaviour of our users, and we would integrate AI to boost our courses, content and user experience.
What role do you see AfriLearn playing in the future of tech education in Africa, and how do you plan to position the company for long-term success?
We will become the forefront of education for young people in Africa.
What advice do you have for other EdTech startups looking to scale and achieve sustainable growth?
You have to keep building. The product makes all the difference.
