Education
Coursera, African Leadership University to Democratize Education
By Adedapo Adesanya
Online learning platform, Coursera, has partnered with the African Leadership University (ALU) to enable learners from across Africa to access world-class education and equip them with the necessary skills to thrive in a digital economy.
As an institution, ALU is dedicated to shaping Africa’s future leaders with ethics, entrepreneurship, and solutions for the continent’s challenges.
This is paramount as education in Africa faces significant challenges. Only about 9 per cent of young people in Sub-Saharan Africa attend tertiary education compared to the global average of 38 per cent. Moreover, unemployment rates among African youth remain alarmingly high. This highlights the urgent need for accessible, quality education and skill development to prepare Africa’s workforce for the future.
The Coursera and ALU partnership aims to address these challenges by democratizing African education and promoting equitable learning.
ALU’s experiential learning model will seamlessly integrate with Coursera’s technology, making education accessible continent-wide. This ensures access to high-quality courses while equipping learners with practical, job-relevant skills, empowering them for new job opportunities and the digital economy’s growth in the region.
Speaking on this, Mr Veda Sunassee, CEO of African Leadership University said “At ALU, our mission is to shape Africa’s future leaders, and partnerships like this with Coursera play a crucial role in addressing the significant challenges facing education in Africa.”
“By expanding access to world-class education and ensuring that students have the necessary skills to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges, we are not only helping them to thrive but also contributing to Africa’s growth and development,” he added.
To date, over 1,500 students from across Africa have benefited from more than 9,000 courses completed, accumulating over 16,000 enrollments and totalling 61,000 learner hours.
Top courses include Solving Problems with Creativity and Critical Thinking (IBM), Building Fintech Startups in Emerging Markets (University of Cape Town), Innovation Through Design (The University of Sydney), Ready, Set, Future! Introduction to Futures Thinking (Institute for the Future), and Welcome to Game Theory (The University of Tokyo).
According to them, these outcomes demonstrate that learners on the continent are seeking accessible, job-relevant education that can transform their lives and communities.
“At Coursera, we believe that talent is universal, but opportunities are not. Our partnership with ALU is a testament to our commitment to bridging this gap and providing learners in Africa with the skills they need to succeed in the digital economy,” said Mr Kais Zribi, Coursera’s General Manager for the Middle East and Africa.
“We are excited to see the incredible impact this collaboration is already having and look forward to expanding our efforts to reach even more learners across the continent,” he noted.
ALU not only focuses on theoretical learning but also emphasizes learning through real-world experiences. Over the past two years, Coursera has welcomed approximately 40 students and staff to its headquarters in Mountain View, California, as part of ALU’s Global Leadership program and the Coursera Innovation Bridge initiative led by the Coursera for Africa team.
During their time there, participants had the opportunity to meet with Coursera team members and learn about the power of online learning to change lives. They engaged in workshops focused on design, creativity and critical thinking, and also networked with professionals, gaining valuable insights and inspiration for their future careers.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, with 61.54 per cent of candidates obtaining credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
The Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Mr Amos Dangut, announced the results at a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday.
Mr Dangut said 1,200,514 candidates met the benchmark for admission to higher institutions, out of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat the examination nationwide, held between April 24 and June 19.
He said 102,708 examiners were engaged in the marking exercise held at 88 marking venues across the country between 2 July and 20 July.
“Today, I am happy to inform you that all the processes leading to the release of results have been completed. It is now my pleasure to announce the release of the results of candidates who sat the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2026 in Nigeria,” he said, directing candidates to the agency’s portal to access their results.
“UPDATE: 2026 WASSCE (SC) results have been released. Generate your PIN at waec.org and check your results now on waecdirect.org,” the examination body said, noting that candidates must obtain their Serial Number and PIN before they can check their results.
To generate the required credentials, candidates are expected to visit WAEC’s official website and select the “Serial Number and PIN” option at the top of the page.
They are then required to select the appropriate examination year and diet, enter their examination number and National Identification Number (NIN), and ensure that the NIN provided is the same one used during registration for the examination.
Candidates must also provide their email address and phone number to receive a One-Time Password (OTP).
After entering the OTP, candidates can recover their Serial Number and PIN, which they can subsequently use to check their results through WAEC Direct.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Over 200 senior students of Cleggs Girls High School, Surulere, Lagos, were on July 23, 2026, engaged in practical knowledge about the risks associated with smoking, vaping, and shisha.
This engagement was made possible through a collaboration between Breathe Life Foundation and Teach Nigeria Fellow.
Participants were students aged 15–19 years. They were also informed about the misconception that shisha is a safer alternative to cigarettes or other substances.
Through an engaging and interactive discussion, students explored the influence of peer pressure and learned practical strategies for making healthier, more informed lifestyle choices.
They also gained a better understanding of common environmental triggers of asthma and other respiratory conditions, including cigarette smoke, generator fumes, bush burning, mosquito coil smoke, candles, charcoal, and firewood.
The session highlighted an important reality: young people may not always recognise how seemingly routine lifestyle choices and environmental exposures can gradually affect their respiratory health, quality of life, and long-term wellbeing.
For Breathe Life Foundation, this reinforces the importance of shifting the conversation from treatment to prevention through awareness and education.
By equipping young people with the knowledge to identify risks and make healthier choices early, the foundation is helping to build a generation that is more conscious of – and better prepared to protect – its respiratory health.
The organisation said it is dedicated to advancing respiratory health, an often-neglected public health priority. Healthy lungs are essential to life, yet respiratory diseases remain among the world’s leading causes of death and disability, even though many are preventable and treatable.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) schemes, the Obajana Plant of Dangote Cement Plc has distributed some educational materials to some pupils in Kogi State.
The items shared to the beneficiaries included school bags, exercise books, writing materials, water bottles, and other essential learning aids aimed at enhancing the learning experience of the pupils and preparing them for the next academic session.
The General Manager for the Social Performance Department of Dangote Cement at Obajana Plant, Mr Ademola Adeyemi, said the materials were donated days after Dangote Cement distributed similar education materials to pupils in public schools in its catchment communities of Oyo, Iwaa, Obajana and Apata; and commissioned a multi-million-naira hospital in Obajana, which added to the growing list of social investments that includes an earlier hospital project in Iwaa and Oyo Communities.
He noted that, over the years, the company has invested billions of naira in a wide range of social programmes for host communities, including empowerment programmes, road construction, and potable water projects, and it remains resolute in its commitment to sustaining and expanding its interventions.
He noted that the company’s corporate social responsibility programmes are aligned with government development priorities and are implemented through sustained, mutually beneficial partnerships.
“The intervention was informed by findings from a needs assessment conducted by Dangote Cement. During the assessment, it was observed that several pupils attended school without school bags, while others carried their books by hand. It was also discovered that many students lacked essential learning materials such as exercise books, pens, pencils, and other basic learning materials,” the cement firm said.
The Head Teacher of UBE LGEA School, St. Luke Model II, Adankolo, Lokoja Local Government Area, Mr Abubakar Sanni, expressed profound appreciation to the management of Dangote Cement for the gesture.
The Head Teacher expressed gratitude to the Group President of the conglomerate, Aliko Dangote, for extending the company’s educational support programme beyond its host and impacted communities to schools located at the state headquarters.
The beneficiaries, school management, parents, and community stakeholders expressed gratitude to Dangote Cement for the timely intervention and prayed for the continued growth and success of the company in its efforts to improve lives and support sustainable community development.
