The masterclass was designed for learners on the ALX Founders Academy. This comprehensive entrepreneurship program offers participants insights and tools to ideate, develop, and validate their innovative ideas into viable businesses.

The programme engages a vibrant community of peers who gain insights from successful African startup founders with live masterclasses such as this.

The master in this case, Chidi Afulezi, a product specialist, founder, and Managing Principal of redKola Digital Labs, led the session with an in-depth look into the key principles of product development and management.

Emphasizing the importance of discovering and validating the problems and crafting solutions that align with the needs and opportunities of the market.

“Entrepreneurs need to fall in love with the problem they are trying to solve. The entrepreneur’s journey is one of discovery. Discovering the problem, discovering the customers that have these problems, and discovering the solutions to the problem. With this discovery, they can build a product that is viable, feasible, and valuable,” Chidi remarked.

Reflecting on the event, Ruby Igwe, country general manager, ALX Nigeria, said,

“We organize impactful sessions like this masterclass to inspire our learners and give them the tools they need to succeed. Our goal is to ensure that they are equipped with the best resources and knowledge to create products that will shape the future of Africa’s economy.”

ALX Founder Academy has contributed to the success stories of many African startups, including Aquatrack, Luna, and Healthtracka, a digital health platform that raised $1.5m in 2022.

This prestigious accolade highlights ALX’s commitment to advancing technology learning and innovation in Africa.

The award was presented during the Titans of Tech Awards ceremony, following a Tech Conference and Expo, where ALX actively engaged with participants to highlight its innovative programs.

The event brought together leaders and stakeholders from various sectors, celebrating the achievements and innovations shaping the future of technology on the continent.

The Titans of Tech Awards, also known as Nigeria’s Tech Industry Grammy, recognises the high-tech industry’s most prominent movers and shakers, including pioneers and innovators.

Seun Babajide-Duroshola, country marketing manager for ALX Nigeria expressed the company’s gratitude, stating,

“We are deeply honoured to receive this award. It demonstrates our team’s hard work and dedication to contributing to innovation in the tech industry over the years. We thank the organisers for recognising our efforts and providing us with a platform to continue inspiring and equipping young Africans with the skills they need to succeed.”

Seun Babajide-Duroshola, emphasised ALX’s ongoing mission, saying,

“ALX remains committed to providing millions of young Africans with opportunities to develop their personal and professional lives through quality and industry-standard tech programs. This recognition reinforces our resolve to continue creating impactful learning experiences and supporting the growth of the tech ecosystem across Africa.”

According to organisers of the Titans of Tech Global Awards, ALX Africa’s commitment to empowering tomorrow’s leaders through access to advanced digital skills that are critical to future employability and entrepreneurship is truly commendable.

Don Pedro Aganbi, Convener, TOTA 2024 cited that “ALX has consistently extended its reach across the continent in furtherance of this goal.

The company is happy to partner with others in this quest. The recent half a million dollars collaboration with Patoranking Foundation to empower tomorrow’s tech disruptors and innovative community leaders with the most in-demand hard and soft skills to solve the problems of the continent and beyond is a humongous step in the right direction.”

With a community of over 200,000 members across Nigeria, ALX is a hub for the development of tech talent, providing world-class learning opportunities with programmes such as the Artificial Intelligence Career Essentials (AICE), Virtual Assistant Programme, ALX Founders Academy, Data Analytics, Data Science, AWS Cloud Computing, Software Development and many more offerings.

As ALX continues to expand its reach and impact, the organisation remains dedicated to its vision of empowering the next generation of African leaders and innovators.

The Titans of Tech award for the Most Innovative EdTech Company marks a significant milestone in ALX’s journey, reflecting its unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation in the EdTech sector.

In a strategic partnership with ALX Africa, a leading provider of tech training, the scholarships will provide 40 young tech-savvy Africans with access to a variety of transformative technology programmes in data analytics, cloud computing and Salesforce Administration. The partnership is aimed at preparing the scholars to become the next pioneers in technology.

Founded by African musician, Patrick Okorie aka Patoranking, the Foundation utilises research, advocacy and partnerships to provide transformative educational programs and market-ready entrepreneurial skills to outstanding young leaders in Africa.

Having invested over $1 million on youth education in Africa over the last six years, the introduction of a $500,000 tech scholarship in partnership with ALX Africa, marks a new chapter in the Foundation’s mission. 

From 30th May 2024, 40 exceptional candidates will stand the chance to participate in world-class tech training programmes, developing in-demand tech skills sought after by leading global employers. 

Candidates will ideally already be changemakers in their community, and as part of their scholarship, will have the opportunity to qualify for internship opportunities with leading global tech companies to bridge the gap between theory and real-life practice.

The tech scholarship is open to promising tech-savvy candidates from all over Africa. Candidates will be required to successfully complete the ALX admissions process and  beneficiaries will be selected after a review of the individual application videos and essays submitted on the foundation’s website. 

Speaking on the partnership, Patrick Okorie, Founder, Patoranking Foundation, said:

“At Patoranking Foundation, we are dedicated to advancing Africa through education and entrepreneurship.  In the past, we have done this by providing academic scholarships to exceptional African students at all levels and have now partnered with ALX Africa to announce technology scholarships. ALX Africa shares our commitment to empower tomorrow’s leaders via access to advanced digital skills that are critical to future employability and entrepreneurship and we are delighted to partner with them. This step takes us closer to our goal of equipping one million Africans within the next 10 years. At Patoranking Foundation, we are ardent believers in the abundance of exceptional talents and changemakers in Africa, and will continue to challenge the financial inequalities that threaten the emergence of the next generation of African disruptors.”

The Patoranking Foundation has leveraged partnerships to provide promising young leaders with access to leading educational institutions under its Sky Level Initiative.

In 2020, the Foundation awarded full scholarships to 10 scholars from eight African countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Liberia, to enable them to study at the African Leadership University (ALU) in Rwanda or Mauritius. At the primary and secondary education level, 170 young pupils are currently on scholarship in five leading schools in Ebonyi state, Nigeria, the founder’s home state. 

This $500,000 tech partnership with ALX Africa will be open to youths from all parts of Africa, aged between 18 and 34, at no cost with all related fees covered. 

Beneficiaries can choose to learn fully remotely or at any of ALX Africa’s hubs in Johannesburg, Accra, Lagos, Casablanca, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Kigali or Cairo.

Commenting on the partnership, celebrated educator and entrepreneur Fred Swaniker, Founder of ALX Africa, said:

“In today’s world of AI and Big Data, young people need to be prepared for uncertainty; they need to be agile and adaptable. ALX’s tech programmes have been built around our belief in the importance of reimagining and redesigning skills training to meet the challenges and opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Through our collaboration with Patoranking Foundation, we hope to empower tomorrow’s tech disruptors and innovative community leaders with the most in-demand hard and soft skills to solve the problems of the continent and beyond.” 

Patoranking continues to leverage his influence to nurture Africa’s entrepreneurial passion, ready to accelerate transformative change to the nations and the continent.

By selecting resilient and innovative community changemakers for the tech scholarships, the Patoranking Foundation is equipping Africa’s young leaders with much needed digital skills to scale local impact and providing them with useful connections for collaborations.

Through its concerted efforts, the Foundation hopes to create a ripple effect of change, empowering the youth to become architects of their own futures and catalysts for progress within their communities. 

How to Apply

Visit the website here for the application procedure.

ALX Nigeria is part of a global organisation, ALX Africa, which is also present in South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, Morocco, Ghana, Egypt, Ethiopia, and other African countries and is actively building the #ALX9jaCommunity.

With successful events hosted at Babcock University, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Landmark University, and LAUTECH, with a final stop at Ibadan Polytechnic, ALX is setting the stage for a new era of engagement and intellectual discourse among students as well as inspiring them to take tech seriously.

As part of its mission to revolutionise learning and empower the next generation of leaders, ALX provides students with a transformative opportunity to connect with innovative tech courses and reach their full potential.

Seun Babajide-Duroshola, ALX Nigeria, country marketing manager, stated,

“We are strategically doing this to engage students through thought-provoking conversations, and this is happening across various universities. We want to inspire and push them to take charge of their life, and careers, and go all out on a tech-driven lifelong learning journey. Just imagine how powerful it will be for university graduates equipped with tech skills by the time they complete their degree.”

One of the highlights of ALX’s campus tour was the Inter-School Debate, where six universities—Thomas Adewumi University, Landmark University, Redeemers University, Afe Babalola University, University of Ilorin, and Obafemi Awolowo University—competed head-to-head in a battle of intellect and eloquence.

The event highlighted the intellectual prowess of the participating students and fostered friendly and healthy competition among universities.

After rounds of intense deliberation and passionate arguments, Alex Olafisoye, a 500-level student at the University of Ilorin, emerged victorious in the Inter-School Debate.

His team’s dedication, intellect, and rhetorical finesse captivated the audience and demonstrated the remarkable talent nurtured within university campuses.

This victory earned his team a coveted cash prize and a brand-new laptop and provided Alex with a unique platform to network and share his ideas.

Alex Olasfisoye, the winner of the competition, expressed his joy as he stated,

“This was a unique opportunity for me to network and talk about ideas that I have in mind for a while, and I’m grateful to ALX for providing a platform like this for me to unleash my skill.”

Regarding the Inter-School Debate Competition, Babajide-Duroshola expressed profound enthusiasm and gratitude, stating,

“We are excited to witness the incredible response from students across universities. The energy and passion displayed during the Inter-School Debate competition were truly inspiring. It reaffirms our belief in the power of tech learning to transform lives and shape the future.”

Events like these not only foster academic excellence but also nurture leadership qualities and teamwork skills essential for success in the modern world,” she added.

With its unwavering commitment, ALX Nigeria remains at the forefront of equipping the next generation with the necessary knowledge and skills to thrive in the digital sector.

It does so by providing a diverse range of tech programmes and offerings designed to meet the evolving needs of the industry.

This significant milestone underscores ALX’s commitment to fostering a new generation of leaders across Africa, equipped with innovative skills in AI technology.

In his welcome address, the host, Gavin Peter, VP, of Community and Culture at ALX, emphasized the essence of the event, termed “Karibu” which means ‘Welcome’ in Swahili, saying, “It is our usual ritual to start our ALX courses. We want our learners to feel welcome and part of the family.

“ALX is a community where we all belong and meet each other. We want to upskill young Africans and prepare them to launch so that they can grow their careers and make an impact.”

The AiCE programme offered by ALX introduces participants to Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools essential to their professional practice.

For six weeks, learners will be equipped with knowledge of the rapid advancement of AI and its increasing relevance across various industries.

Through this course, ALX takes on the responsibility of equipping African talents with the necessary expertise to harness the potential available with Artificial Intelligence.

Out of the 30,000 learners onboarded across Africa from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Rwanda and Kenya, over 5,000 came from Nigeria.

This significant feat is a testament to the dedication and resilience shown by ALX Nigeria. Also, a strong and vibrant community, impactful engagements, and evidential testimonials of personal and professional growth are only a few of the many identifiers of this success.

Commenting on this significant achievement, the ALX Country General Manager, Ruby Igwe, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “We are immensely proud to welcome 30,000 new learners to our AI programme. This milestone reflects our dedication to providing accessible, world-class education that empowers individuals to shape the future of Africa. Through our AI Career Essentials programme, we aim to cultivate a diverse community of innovators who will drive technological advancement and economic growth across the continent.”

She further stated,

“ALX is not just a learning platform; it’s a community where learners come together to grow, inspire, and support one another. As we extend our heartfelt “Karibu” to our new learners, we are excited to witness the impact they will make as they harness the power of Artificial Intelligence to drive innovation and change across Africa.”

“Karibu to all our new AiCE learners! As they embark on this exciting adventure together, the possibilities are just limitless,” remarked Igwe.

ALX remains dedicated to expanding access to transformative education and empowering African talents to lead in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As the continent continues to embrace technological innovation, ALX stands as a beacon of hope, guiding learners toward a future filled with endless possibilities.

To apply and find out more about the AiCE and other Tech offerings from ALX, visit bit.ly/alx9ja.