Aisha Yesufu

Pioneer of affordable online education across Africa through Edunation

Aisha Yesufu is a Nigerian entrepreneur and founder of Edunation, a groundbreaking platform revolutionizing access to education in Africa. Born in Lagos in 1989, she witnessed firsthand the challenges of traditional education systems during her studies at the University of Ibadan. Her vision to bridge the education gap led to Edunation's launch in 2019, which gained significant traction post-2020 as schools closed during the pandemic.

Edunation offers low-cost online courses in partnership with universities like MIT and Oxford, now serving over 500,000 students across 23 African countries. The platform's adaptive learning algorithms and local language support have been highlighted by UNESCO as a model for innovative education delivery. Aisha's work was recognized with the 2022 Africa Tech Excellence Award and Forbes' '30 Under 30' list.

Her recent initiatives include the 'Digital Learning Hubs' project in rural Nigeria, providing offline-access tablets to 10,000 students. Aisha advocates for policy changes through her role at the African Union's Education Commission, pushing for universal broadband access as a human right. Interviews with BBC World and TEDxLagos (2023) have amplified her message: 'Education should be a right, not a privilege.'

Key innovations include:

• Micro-credential partnerships with IBM and Google
• Pay-what-you-can pricing model
• AI-driven mentorship matching

Her work has directly contributed to a 27% increase in STEM enrollment among African women since 2021 according to World Bank data.