The new programme from Co-Creation Hub invests $15 million in edtech companies in Africa

72 entrepreneurs in Nigeria and Kenya will gain access to a $15 million accelerator program dubbed The Edtech Fellowship Program thanks to Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), the largest innovation hub in Africa. According to a statement from the company, the accelerator program will promote and increase the influence of education technology (ed-tech) entrepreneurs across Africa and assist founders in developing technological solutions to enhance education. In sub-Saharan Africa, 98 million children and teenagers do not attend school, according to a report. All educational levels, from K–12 through college, are insufficient. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1170"] Image credit- TechCrunch[/caption] According to GSMA Intelligence, 64% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa were smartphone users in 2021, with 46% of the region's population owning a mobile phone. This has made it possible for various edtech companies to develop online learning environments and job opportunities for thousands of Africans. K–12 education is provided by Tencent-backed uLesson, YC–supported Kidato, and LocalGlobe–supported Foondamate, while Andela and GOMYCODE connect IT experts and students with regional and international companies. The billion-dollar edtech market in Africa has seen some success for these platforms, but not enough. Further fixes are required. The eighth-most-invested market in Africa is edtech, so its businesses have their work cut out for them. Bosun Tijani, co-founder and CEO of CcHUB, offers two explanations for why financing is difficult to come by for African edtech companies. The edtech sector is highly regulated, to start. Another problem is that startups rarely work with institutions of higher learning. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Image credit- Tech Times[/caption] According to Tijani, launching an accelerator programme with an inclusive environment might result in a number of success stories and a better developed edtech industry. The majority of the roughly 300 companies in these fields are involved in tutorial software and rote learning systems. But, Tijani stated that the accelerator programme would look for alternative treatments. Also read: Microsoft invests billions in a new partnership with the company behind ChatGPT The CEO claims that the $2 billion African education industry requires more novel approaches. CcHUB, which has managed a number of edtech initiatives and supported edtech companies through a number of incubator and accelerator programmes, is hopeful that it will be able to address K–12, tertiary, and skills-to–jobs market concerns.