Firm deepens AI push to improve teaching

Artificial intelligence. Photo: Jobaaj Learnings

Nigerian education technology company Edves has said it is deepening its use of artificial intelligence to support teaching, improve administrative efficiency and enhance student learning as it enters its second decade of operations.

The company said its next phase of growth would focus on deploying technology to support teachers with lesson planning, curriculum-linked assessments and teaching observation, amid growing adoption of digital tools in education.

The company disclosed this in a statement made available to The PUNCH on Wednesday by its Communications Executive, Mary Ayo-Aina, to mark its 10th anniversary.

Founded to digitise school administration, Edves has expanded its services to online learning, assessments, curriculum management and artificial intelligence-supported teaching tools.

Its Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Dimeji Falana, said the company’s work with state governments demonstrated how digital platforms could improve the coordination and administration of public education.

Falana said, “As we mark 10 years in business, the company would continue to deepen its use of AI in education and expand its international footprint. The success of its next phase would increasingly be measured by the technology’s impact on teaching effectiveness, administrative efficiency and student learning.

“Such deployments demonstrate how digital platforms can help education authorities coordinate school information, strengthen administration and support decision-making across multiple institutions,” Falana said.

Edves, which began operations in Nigeria on October 24, 2016, currently serves more than 2,300 schools across 12 countries, supporting over 625,000 students, 57,000 teachers and 387,000 parents across Africa, Europe and North America.

Edves has participated in Enugu State’s Smart Green Schools programme, covering 260 schools, and Anambra State’s Smart Schools initiative across 22 pilot local government areas.

Falana said the company was extending its technology beyond the digitisation of school records to support teachers and give school administrators better insight into classroom practices.

“As artificial intelligence reshapes education, Edves is extending its platform beyond digitising paperwork. Its AI-supported tools include lesson planning, curriculum-linked assessment and teaching observation, designed to assist teachers with preparation and provide schools with better visibility into classroom practices,” he said.

The company said the tools were intended to support lesson preparation, assessment and the monitoring of teaching as it deepened its use of AI and expanded into more international markets.

However, the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, Dare Adebayo, said the company’s future growth would depend not merely on technology adoption but on the educational improvements it could deliver.

“The next phase of growth will depend on whether these technologies deliver measurable improvements in teaching effectiveness, administrative efficiency and student learning,” Adebayo said.

He said the challenge was to ensure that wider adoption of digital learning translated into practical benefits for schools, teachers and students.

“The challenge ahead is clear: translating wider adoption into tangible educational value for schools, teachers and learners, while ensuring that technology remains a practical tool for improving education across the markets it serves,” he added.

Edves said its growth had been supported by international recognition, investment and partnerships with schools and education stakeholders.

In 2017, it participated in Co-Creation Hub’s Intel-powered Growth Accelerator before winning the Best EdTech Prize at the 2018 Seedstars Global Summit in Switzerland.

The company secured seed funding in 2023 from Beta Ventures, Fondation Botnar and Future Africa to support its expansion and product development.