Adwuma Mbomu: e-Learning

Our solution seeks to tackle the lack of access to well-structured and interactive learning programs in remote, hybrid, and physical environments in Nigeria.

The solution proposed to address this problem is developing a learning platform that incorporates interactive learning elements across all primary and secondary schools, which would include text, audio, videos, and interactive 3D elements for remote practical lessons. This would help promote guided independent work during remote learning as well as improve physical learning sessions by making use of the same content.

This solution is aimed at bringing ease of access to well-structured and interactive learning programs that will engage teachers and students by offering a range of solutions to learning challenges in both high and low-connectivity settings. Students have access to learning material in-class and from home through our platform, which will aid the engagement of guardians to make learning fun and appealing. 

Adwuma Mbomu seeks to solve the problems of distance learning in Nigeria, creating a bridge between educational barriers and limitations. One in every five of the world’s out-of-school children is in Nigeria. In scenarios like the unforeseen Covid-19 pandemic that forced many schools to temporarily seize operations, thousands of students were unable to continue their education due to the lack of adequate learning support for remote learning. This compounded an already established issue of inadequate and unequal learning opportunities for Nigerian students. Globally, about 1.7 billion learners have been affected by the closure of schools. In Nigeria specifically, UNESCO reported that about 39.5 million primary and secondary school learners were affected by school closures, with 89% of them enrolled in public schools. Despite this, the Federal Ministry of Education’s directive regarding school closures did not produce adequate policy measures to help ease disruptions and does little to address the learning needs of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Additionally, WAEC exam results have been dwindling in recent years. This platform aims to address these needs to ensure students continue to learn effectively under all conditions with minimal disruptions, whilst also helping to improve exam performance through interactive and engaging courses.

Adwuma Mbomu e-learning is an online & offline platform that provides learning material with interactive learning elements for both primary pupils and secondary school students. Schools will be registered on the platform where all learning elements are uploaded, such as text, audiovisual content (images, podcasts, videos, webinars), and interactive 2D/3D elements to help with both theoretical and practical learning. Each registered school will have its own database, where it will have access to uploading and updating the learning curriculum and content based on class and subject. The platform will also include other elements of education such as support for quizzes and tests, discussion boards for teacher-student interaction, and guides for parental support in remote learning environments. All learning material can be downloaded to allow for learning continuity even in low-connectivity settings. It will be accessible through both a web application and mobile devices to give wider access to students.

Our primary focus is to empower all schools in Nigeria, especially those with poor classroom, hybrid, and remote learning structures so that the 39.5 million primary and secondary school learners that were affected by school closure can have access to quality education while at home. During the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, some students were still able to continue with their education, albeit not as detailed or progressive as in-class teaching. In some cases, classes took place every day, before being cut down to three days a week and down to no classes at all. The methods used by some of these schools were not effective. Learning content was sometimes shared over WhatsApp messages, which could be tedious and very unengaging. Some more capable schools employed the use of tools such as Google Classroom to upload learning content and conduct class tests for students which were more engaging, but still had their own limitations. Those that largely benefited from this were mostly students of private schools. However, the 89% of students and pupils that are enrolled in government schools, which is the majority, could only watch from the sidelines as there was no structure or preparation in place to aid them with the continuation of their studies from home. To better understand the needs of students and schools, a further evaluation will be carried out to identify areas that require the most attention. Additionally, the development of the solution will include liaising with schools to better refine it to fit the needs of the schools and students, targeting high engagement and interaction. The Adwuma Mbomu platform will significantly improve accessibility and engagement to learning in all kinds of environments for students, making sure that even under a lockdown or other unforeseen conditions, learning content can always be provided, updated, and accessed to further their studies without severe disruptions.

Our solution aims to make learning much more available and accessible and also to help prepare all schools across the country for unforeseen circumstances like the covid-19 pandemic lockdown. Many schools in Nigeria lack equitable classrooms, hybrid and remote learning systems, and the arrival of the covid-19 pandemic drastically affected all school curriculum. The issues of school closure have been addressed through the Adwuma Mbomu e-learning platform, making it possible for learning to continue without interruptions, whilst also increasing engagement with learning in remote, hybrid, and physical environments.

The current rolled-out state of the Adwuma Mbomu platform provides a range of free digital skills courses for all individuals looking to learn new skills or strengthen the ones they have already developed. However, we are currently building on it to expand the platform to provide a well-structured learning experience that will target student engagement and distance learning, which aims to improve their learning experience and performance. With our intentions to bridge the huge educational gaps, we will be liaising with schools to better refine it to fit the needs of the schools and students, targeting high engagement and interaction.

The Adwuma Mbomu e-learning does not only provide a platform for primary and secondary school students but also incorporates free learning courses for digital skill acquisition for all individuals looking to learn new skills or strengthen the ones they have already developed. This would aid the development of young people generally equipping them with the skills required to advance in today’s tech world even as the world is evolving speedily into a digital one. The interactive learning elements on the platform would positively impact the learning of young students all over Nigeria. It will help bring about positive impacts from others looking to be in this space, as it will accommodate other non-school organizations that can register to host their lessons and courses on it.

The Adwuma Mbomu solution is currently still in the prototype stage as it is still being tested. Much has been done but a lot more is still being done to expand the platform to meet its expected capacity, we are making more research on how to refine the platform, whilst also liaising with schools to get information on the specific educational challenges being faced by schools generally in a bid to better refine it to fit the needs of the schools and students, targeting high engagement and interaction. We aim to serve at least one thousand (1000) schools in one year by providing ease of access to a renowned learning platform for students of all backgrounds, both in school and at home. As we work continuously to expand and grow the platform exponentially in five years, we hope to be serving at least twenty thousand (20,000) primary and secondary schools in Nigeria, through progressive improvement.

One stand-out indicator that could be used to measure the impact of our solution would be student performance and grades. The results from quizzes and tests conducted on the Adwuma Mbomu platform can show the improved levels of understanding and attentiveness to learning. The structure of the platform will help address deficiencies in the WAEC Examination performance, and the results of students that make use of the platform can be used to measure a change in performance. Additionally, to measure how educational inequality is tackled through this platform, school registration and enrollment data can be used to understand the platform's reach to students from all backgrounds. This information would indicate how less fortunate students have been provided access to quality learning material both at home and in school. Engagement with downloadable learning content will also be used as a means of measuring the impact of the platform in mitigating learning disruptions in remote or low-connectivity areas.

Full-Time Staff - 16

Contractors - 2

Our solutions team is made up of sub-teams spanning different departments, which include the product team, project management team, business development team, monitoring and evaluation team, communications team, finance team, and the human resources team. Each sub-team will be responsible for a different aspect of the project and work collectively to develop a viable solution. The product team consists of experienced developers, who are largely responsible for developing the Adwuma Mbomu platform. The LoftyInc website is a good example of some of their past experiences, in addition to the Digital Skills Initiative the older versions of Adwuma Mbomu websites, which cater to the same target audience of young students in primary and secondary schools. The Other teams also have vast and varying experiences in project development and management, which have all been carried out successfully whilst measuring the impact they have had on their target. Given our experience with the Digital Skills Initiative, our team is well-positioned to adequately liaise with and understand the needs of schools and students in order to tailor our platform to suit those needs.

LAPL is an organization committed to inclusion, diversity, and equity. The main purpose of the Adwuma Mbomu platform is to provide a balance and bridge the existing educational gaps found across primary and secondary schools. It will give students from all backgrounds access to valuable, engaging, and interactive learning opportunities both at home and in schools, thereby providing them all with an equal opportunity to thrive in their studies. The solutions team consists of several individuals from different backgrounds and with varying experiences. Additionally, in past completed impact projects, LAPL emphasized the importance of diversity and inclusion by involving the stakeholder community through project life cycles to ensure their needs are being heard and addressed adequately to solve their problems, as well as by creating a working environment that promotes respect and understanding.

Solve is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a mission to solve world challenges. Solve is also a marketplace for social impact innovation. LoftyInc Allied Partners Limited on the other hand is a business and project development company that serves both individuals, private and government organizations for varying social impact projects within and outside Nigeria with a vision to enable innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa to support, create or secure 1 million jobs per annum in the next decade. We believe that both LAPL and Solve have similar operational objectives, therefore LAPL becoming a Solver we would through these connections, build the partnerships needed to accelerate our goals, validate our impact and business model, and scale our solution. 

LoftyInc Allied Partners Limited has worked on the Adwuma Mbomu for a while, and funds will be required for the Pilot program to test the platform updates, and for eventual growth and scaling.

LAPL will like to continue our partnership with our current existing aforementioned partners to aid in developing a viable solution with good educational content for digital skills.

Adwuma Mbomu e-learning by LoftyInc Allied Partners Limited is designed to function on digital platforms such as computers, tablets, and mobile devices through the internet with a primary focus to empower all schools in Nigeria, especially those with poor classroom, hybrid, and remote learning structures. As previously stated, one of our biggest challenges to executing this learning platform is the fact that the majority of the target schools/students are those located in rural areas, and it is likely that most of these schools or individuals might not be able to afford a device or internet connectivity to learn from home through the Adwuma Mbomu platform. With these limitations in mind, LAPL intends to make both learning tools (Computers, and smart mobile devices) available to as many schools as possible, as well as a learning platform (Adwuma Mbomu). Due to the large number of facilities required, LAPL would require a tremendous amount of funds to reach this goal. However, we intend to work through this process gradually so that in the long run, all young learners would have access to quality, safe, and equitable learning environments.  

Adwuma Mbomu e-learning by LoftyInc Allied Partners Limited is designed to function on digital platforms such as computers, tablets, and mobile devices through the internet with a primary focus to empower all schools in Nigeria, especially those with poor classroom, hybrid, and remote learning structures. As previously stated, one of our biggest challenges to executing this learning platform is the fact that the majority of the target schools/students are those located in rural areas, and it is likely that most of these schools or individuals might not be able to afford a device or internet connectivity to learn from home through the Adwuma Mbomu platform. With these limitations in mind, LAPL intends to make both learning tools (Computers, and smart mobile devices) available to as many schools as possible, as well as a learning platform (Adwuma Mbomu). Due to the large number of facilities required, LAPL would require a tremendous amount of funds to reach this goal. However, we intend to work through this process gradually so that in the long run, all young learners would have access to quality, safe, and equitable learning environments.