Here are 8 Nigerian women thriving in edtech

The Nigerian edtech ecosystem is relatively new. Edtech services rose in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as schools were closed, affecting about 40 million learners, 91 percent of whom are in primary and secondary schools, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

Since then, digital solutions have tried to bridge the gap. Educational technology, or EdTech, is now transforming how education is delivered in the country.

Edtech in Nigeria has been graced by women who have taken the lead in transforming the sector. These women’s journeys are marked by resilience, innovation, and an unyielding dedication to reshaping education through technology, even when faced with the challenges of operating in a male-dominated field. They are not only building successful businesses but also inspiring young girls to pursue careers in STEM.

Here are eight Nigerian women who have defied the odds to thrive in edtech:

Honey Ogundeyi

Honey Ogundeyi is the founder of Edukoya, an edtech startup that provides personalised learning experiences for students. With it, students can also get help with exam preparation and homework, a question bank with step-by-step instructions, and personalised performance tracking systems.

As of 2023, Edukoya had raised $3.5 million in pre-seed funding. Ogundeyi is also an internet and brand management expert and consultant with experience across banking, Internet, telecoms, brand management, and business consulting. She had worked with several corporate firms before pivoting into edtech.

Before founding Edukoya, she worked with Heirs Alliance, an Associate of the UBA Group, from 2004 to 2006. Later, she worked as a consultant with McKinsey & Company in Brussels and Johannesburg and Ericsson as head of Brand Management for Sub-Saharan Africa. She later worked with Google as an industry manager, leading the development and growth of their commercial business and offering advertising solutions to clients. Ogundeyi was the founding CMO at Kuda and the former country director of the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub.

She was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and schooled at Queens College Yaba before moving out of the country to finish her secondary education at Alexandra College in Dublin, Ireland. She graduated from the University of Birmingham with a BSc in Public Policy and Management. She has been recognised by Forbes, World Economic Forum, and One Young World, among many others.

Ope Bukola

Ope Bukola is the founder of Kibo School, an online university providing STEM education for Africans. She is passionate about building technology that improves access to knowledge and well-being. Previously, she led the Product team for Google Classroom, was a product manager at Amplify Education, and managed partnerships at CK-12 Foundation. She is a board member of Zeta, a network of high-performing, next-generation schools in the Bronx, New York.

Bukola is also an angel investor and member of Pipeline Angels, an angel network that serves as the friends and family round for female and femme entrepreneurs who may not already have support at that critical stage. She is the founding Board Chair of the Black Art Futures Fund, which funds emerging arts organizations that promote and preserve Black arts and culture. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics from New York University.

Ada Nduka Oyom

Ada Nduka Oyom is the founder and Executive Director of She Code Africa, a tech Academy that empowers over 20,000 women and girls across Africa.

She is also the Co-founder of Open-Source Community Africa. Through She Code Africa, Oyom has provided training, mentorship, and networking opportunities to women across Africa, helping to bridge the gender gap in the tech industry. She has inspired many women to pursue careers in tech and created a supportive community that helps them thrive in the industry. With her tech experience and degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Oyom has worked in many capacities.

Before founding She Code Africa, she was the Developer Relation Ecosystem Community Manager at Google and the Developer Relations Lead at Interswitch.

Gloria Ojukwu

Gloria Ojukwu is the founder of HerTechTrail, an edtech that provides tuition-free digital and technical literacy to women to build sustainable tech careers. She is also a tech Project Manager with extensive knowledge of user experience and software development and practical experience building web and mobile applications.