Paul O. Ojo, chief executive officer of ProjKonnect, is passionate about using technology to unlock the immense potential of Africa’s youth. He is currently a fourth-year PhD student of Crop and Soil Sciences at Michigan State University, USA. In this interview with ZEBULON AGOMUO, he spoke on the rationale behind the newly launched ProjKonnect App, the need to develop Nigerian educational ecosystem, among other issues. Excerpts:
By way of introduction, may we know you better?
My name is Paul O. Ojo. I am from a remote village called “Ohun” in Yagba-East Local Government Area of Kogi State. I had my elementary education at Baptist Primary School, Ohun, and high school education at Baptist High School, Ekinrin Adde, also in Kogi State. My first degree was in Agriculture from Amadu Bello University (ABU), Kaduna State. For the one-year mandatory national service (NYSC), I was deployed to Cross River State between 2011 and 2012. Immediately after the service, I joined Dabo Agro-Ltd as a quality assurance analyst. For my post-graduation education, I was nominated by the Federal Scholarship Board under the Ministry of Education for a fellowship in India. This was a fellowship program between the Indian government and African countries. I then pursued a Master’s in Soil Science at Punjab Agricultural University (the premier agricultural university that powered the Green Revolution in India). Toward the end of the master’s degree, I began searching for opportunities in the United States of America, where I obtained another master’s degree in Biology at Miami University of Ohio. I am currently a fourth-year PhD student studying Crop and Soil Sciences at Michigan State University, USA.
What was the driving force behind the venture into the educational development field via technology?
It is not a secret to any properly educated person that education is the bedrock of any nation’s development. I wholeheartedly agree with Nelson Mandela’s profound statement: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Every citizen of any country needs to be properly informed and educated on this subject. In this case, being educated doesn’t necessarily mean having a PhD or a master’s degree. Every country’s citizen should have the necessary education to live productively and contribute to her development. With this being said, it is well-known that countries with good national development and global advancement never take education for granted. They prioritise education for their citizens and youths, which I think often positions them at the forefront of education. This is usually reflected in the nation’s development, particularly in innovation and global competitiveness.
Also, with the advent of technology, the impact on education can be felt in multiple ways. For instance, leveraging technology in educational development is a win-win situation for 21st-century countries, including Nigeria. Taking advantage of technology brings education to people across the nook and cranny of any country. It also reduces the impact of population pressure on physical campuses while bringing education to the rooms and mobile phones of people. As such, the problem of access to education is now solved globally. It is based on this premise that we are working to advance educational development in Nigeria, including other African countries, through leveraging the power of technology. At ProjKonnect, we are deeply passionate about using technology to unlock the immense potential of Africa’s youth. We believe every young person has the ability to innovate and create solutions that can transform their communities and, ultimately, the continent. Our platform is designed to bridge the gap between raw talent and the resources, mentorship, and networks needed to bring ideas to life.
For example, we prioritise capacity building by offering expert-curated courses in fields like artificial intelligence, cyber security, blockchain technology, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. These fields represent the future, and equipping young Africans with these skills ensures they are not just participants but leaders in driving change. Beyond that, we’re creating innovation hubs, dynamic spaces where young minds can collaborate, experiment, and build impactful solutions under the guidance of industry leaders who genuinely care about their growth.
What excites us the most is our plan to set up a youth education and innovation hub. This hub will be a safe, vibrant space where dreams can take shape, where young people feel supported and inspired to tackle the challenges facing their communities. It’s not just about providing resources. Rather, it is about creating an environment that sparks creativity and gives youth the confidence to know they can make a difference.
We know that we cannot do it alone. Partnerships are at the heart of our mission. By working with organisations that share our vision, we can reach more young people, amplify their voices, and create opportunities that change lives. Together, we are nurturing a generation of innovators with the courage, skills, and heart to shape Africa’s future
As one passionate about developing the Nigerian educational ecosystem, what are the fixable gaps you have identified so far?
Nigeria’s educational ecosystem has experienced many setbacks before the advent of technological advancements. We have faced setbacks for decades. From my research, the Nigerian educational ecosystem began to take a wrong turn in the late 80s and early 90s. Poor funding at the government level, a rapid increase in the youth population, inadequate access to educational facilities, lack of motivation among educators, and the poor socio-economic state across the nation have limited the ability of Nigerians to access quality education. This has resulted in several notable problems. The Nigerian educational system now produces graduates who are deemed unemployable in several areas. A majority of Nigerian graduates lack strong people management and critical thinking skills. Many graduates end up questioning why they pursued education after spending four or five years in school. This is because they went through a system where they were not properly educated.
This slogan – ‘school na scam’ – is now prevalent among Nigerian youths. It reflects how many young people perceive education to be a process of merely attending classes and writing exams to get a degree. When they graduate and don’t immediately get jobs or wealth, they label the system a scam. However, I believe education, if properly delivered, is never a scam. Education is the best weapon to escape poverty. The African continent, including Nigeria, must unite to understand that eradicating poverty requires educating every African child adequately. In addition to increased unemployment levels, we are witnessing a rise in crime rates. This trend, perhaps, stems from Nigeria’s population, nearing 250 million, where more than two million undergraduate students and thousands of graduates emerge each year without jobs. This disheartening trend is tied to the lack of student and graduate capacity to solve societal problems. They often describe these issues as “government problems” because they expect the government to solve them, leading to societal pressure for financial stability and a turn toward crime. To solve these problems, we must revisit the country’s educational curriculum. There is an urgent need for students to develop employability and critical thinking skills. Real education involves thoroughly applying what has been learned in school. This would enable students to rely less on the government for job creation. They will become advanced thinkers capable of addressing common societal challenges within their strength. I believe that advancing education and directing our energy toward ensuring Nigeria has access to quality learning will place us on the right path to solving these problems while maintaining global relevance.
Read also: President Tinubu seeks education restoration in 2025 with N3.5tn
You recently announced the launch of the ProjKonnect App. Could you explain the rationale behind this vision?
ProjKonnect is designed to serve as an educational tool. The rationale behind ProjKonnect is to bring education to the screen of every student. We believe collaboration is key to quality education. This reinforces our organisational stance as we aim to build a viable system that will drive collaboration among Nigerian students. From our study, for example, no system helps university students across the country collaborate on ideas, projects, and academic tasks. This gives credence to the fact that one of the major rationales behind the establishment of ProjKonnect is fostering deep collaboration. This initiative is aimed at opening the minds of undergraduate university students, including those in polytechnics and colleges of education, to the power of collaboration, innovative thinking, and knowledge sharing – achievable through the power of technology.
Additionally, because of the backward nature of education in Nigeria, we now have over 200 universities with thousands of students jam-packed in classrooms. There is no way a class of over 600-700 students will fully understand what is being taught. At the initial stages of developing ProjKonnect, particularly during our project validation stage, preliminary studies revealed that close to 70% of students admitted they never understood anything in class. This suggests that they might have passed their exams only after memorising notes to graduate. However, they never understood the foundational concepts and principles of their field of study. This indicates that they cannot leverage their education to solve problems because what they do not understand cannot be applied. As such, the rationale behind ProjKonnect is to create a digital platform where students can see the practical application of their abstract knowledge. Through ProjKonnect, students will have a Proguide who could be a Master’s or PhD student with a better understanding of their program of study compared to undergraduates. This reinforces the concept of the term ‘Proguide,’ a project guide.
There is a traditional academic system in Nigeria called tutorials. I participated in this during my undergraduate days, where I offered tutorials to students, including my immediate classmates. However, in many classes, some students explain concepts better than lecturers. ProjKonnect aims to digitize this concept, allowing students to offer tutorial services across campuses. This will reduce the need for physical tutorial sessions after the main classes during the day, giving students more time to refresh and plan for the next day. Through this approach, a student in ABU can share their knowledge with students in other universities, fostering the sharing of knowledge beyond physical boundaries. ProjKonnect also seeks to strengthen students’ understanding of the significance of their final-year dissertations. Final-year projects are the cornerstone of quality education in Nigeria, but students often undervalue them due to a lack of incentives. Completing a final-year project helps students demonstrate the skills required to be well-rounded graduates. It develops critical thinking abilities as students choose a topic of interest and think deeply about it. Additionally, it enhances communication and relationship-building skills as students work with supervisors. They also acquire skills in data analysis, collection, and management, while learning to collaborate effectively with academic committees. By analysing and discussing their results, students become adept at expressing findings, making them all-rounded and well-prepared graduates.
As a player within the Nigerian edutech terrain, how do you think ProjKonnect’s digital solution will contribute toward making education attractive?
ProjKonnect is a Nigerian educational startup with a unique value proposition. I say this confidently because most educational startups and non-formal education bodies in Nigeria primarily focus on helping students pass exams. It is rare to find an edutech company solely focused on education. ProjKonnect is the first in Nigeria to integrate academic knowledge, innovation, and career development. Our system provides students access to employers, creating internship opportunities to strengthen their practical knowledge and technical abilities. This will enable students to graduate with not only exam knowledge but also a high-quality, publishable project that could even be patented. This approach strategically positions students for graduate school scholarships abroad, making education more attractive. For organisations with existing internship programs, ProjKonnect strengthens them by providing a recruitment platform. Employers can post job opportunities and access students ranked by our AI tool based on their level of innovation. Employers also interact with students in live learning sessions, enhancing collaboration and practical exposure. ProjKonnect further expands the frontiers of education by enabling secondary school graduates to acquire contemporary skills and secure internship opportunities. This prepares them for tertiary education with the focus and tools needed to thrive. Through this, ProjKonnect is positioning Nigeria as a leader in educational and technological innovation.
There is a huge debate about how theoretically sound Nigerian graduates are while they lack practical knowledge. How does your digital solution hope to bridge this gap?
In my previous response, I mentioned that we would collaborate with organisations to strengthen their internship programs. While many organisations in Nigeria have internship programs, they often lack the structure and effectiveness seen in other countries. ProjKonnect aims to bolster these programs by connecting students with organisations where they can engage in meaningful internships.
In the 21st century, where remote jobs are becoming increasingly common, not all internships require physical presence. Some may involve brief visits to facilities, but much of the learning can also occur virtually. For those working physically with organisations, ProjKonnect enhances partnerships to ensure students experience hands-on application of their academic knowledge in real-world settings. This integration allows students to master abstract concepts by exposing them to the practicalities of their field of study. With the advent of ProjKonnect, we are changing the narrative by introducing a paradigm shift in education. This approach equips Nigerian students to become result-oriented, particularly in solving societal issues. By fostering collaboration and innovation, ProjKonnect bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, thus transforming Nigeria’s education system.
You have been exposed to both the American and Nigerian educational ecosystems. What would you say are the advantages the Nigerian system has over the US?
Having earned degrees from three continents – Africa, Asia, and America – I believe I am well-positioned to compare these systems. Nigerian students possess exceptional theoretical knowledge. When combined with practical experience, this strong foundation has the potential to elevate Nigeria’s global rankings. In the United States, structured internship programs provide students with significant professional exposure, an area that Nigeria must address to harness its potential fully. One notable advantage of Nigeria’s education system is its affordability. Education is heavily subsidised in Nigeria compared to countries like the US, where students pay thousands of dollars annually. Nigerians must capitalise on these opportunities to gain quality education and develop skills that can make them globally competitive.
What is your advice to Nigerian students on how to compete favorably with their foreign counterparts?
As Nigerians, we must step up our game in every aspect of life. One of the challenges we face is the societal emphasis on money, which often misguides young people into prioritising quick wealth over meaningful progress. Many fail to recognise that financial stability is a byproduct of value creation, and value creation stems from solving real-world problems. This process requires critical problem-solving skills, which are nurtured through quality education. To Nigerian youths, let me assure you that wealth will follow naturally when you become a value creator. Resist the distractions and pressures of social media, which often portray a false sense of success. Instead, focus on developing the skills and mindset needed to provide genuine value. Understand that being a value provider is not only the key to personal success but also the foundation for competing favorably on the global stage of innovation.
At ProjKonnect, we are committed to building a system that empowers students to become value creators. Through collaborative networks, skill-development programs and innovation-focused initiatives, ProjKonnect fosters critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. By engaging with platforms like ProjKonnect, Nigerian youths can connect with peers, access resources, and participate in global innovation showcases, positioning themselves as competitive players in a connected world. Remember, the chain of value creation begins with quality education, which equips you with the skills to solve problems effectively. By embracing this path, you will not only achieve financial stability but also contribute meaningfully to societal progress and elevate Nigeria as well as Africa’s standing on the global stage.
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