Education
Sahara Group Reaffirms Commitment to Literacy, Skills Development
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The ability to read and write is not only a fundamental human right but in the 21st century, it is an essential tool for human survival. Like Darwin propounded in his theory of evolution by Natural Selection, species that fail to acquire the abilities [skills] and features for survival or competitiveness in an ever-evolving world will die – commonly referred to as survival of the fittest. Survival of the fittest refers to the ability of a species to survive and reproduce its kind.
Literacy, at the very least, in its most basic form, the ability to read and write – is a critical evolutionary feature for any human in the 21st century. It is becoming unthinkable that any human can make any significant impact or progress in the times that we live without the most basic form of education.
The International Literacy Day is a day set aside every year to remind world leaders and policymakers of the importance of education/literacy to the development of a people and the growth of a nation.
Globally, it is estimated that at least 750 million adults, including 102 million young people (15-24 years old), lack basic literacy skills. Further estimates show that six out of ten children and adolescents (617 million) are not achieving minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics. These are alarming statistics for the survival prospects of these millions of people. If they are to make it to the next generation, they must acquire these literacy skills for survival.
Literacy is the basis for lifelong learning and plays a crucial foundational role in the creation of sustainable, prosperous and peaceful societies. In addition, it equips people with the abilities/skills to make a living and develop key resources for their growth and development.
According to Bethel Obioma, Head, Corporate Communications, Sahara Group, the leading energy, and infrastructure conglomerate has invested in and supported various projects and programmes aimed at improving youth and child literacy across Sahara’s locations in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
In 2014 and 2015, Sahara Foundation implemented a book drive aimed at improving the interest of children in reading. The intention was to build up an interest in the children to learn early the importance of life-long learning. Staff members also volunteered to read to children in those schools. “The sessions remain evergreen in the minds of the children, providing the foundation for a strong bond between Sahara and the beneficiaries. Helping people pursue and realize their dreams is a venture that Sahara is passionate about,” Obioma said.
In addition, undergraduates of the University of Lagos, through AIESEC Lagos were supported in their drive to equip other young students with the knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how it relates to their development.
Sahara Foundation’s support for the Vocational Centre in Surulere represents a sustainable platform for propagating skills acquisition and development. At the centre, young people are equipped with vocational skills in catering, hairdressing, photography, and ICT among others. Sahara’s core support for the centre was for the upgrade of the industrial kitchen to a modern one for the beneficiaries to acquire skills that they need to become self-sufficient catering entrepreneurs. Through our support for this centre, over 1000 young caterers have benefitted with more than half of them becoming gainfully employed or business owners.
In a bid to develop the skills of young people at scale, Sahara Foundation launched the Saharahub digital platform to empower millions of young people from around the world with the needed skills for improved lives.
This year, Sahara Foundation in partnership with Realizing Education for Development (READ) International are empowering 30 young men and women in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with entrepreneurship skills and built their vocational capacities. The support to these beneficiaries includes startup capital, vocational training, business advisory and post-training support as well market access. In line with our Extrapreneurship framework, the goal is to ensure that the supported beneficiaries – all youths – are able to start and sustain successful businesses while empowering other young Tanzanians as their business grows.
Oluseyi Ojurongbe, Sahara Foundation said the energy giant would continue to seek avenues for promoting literacy and skills development.
“At Sahara, we believe that education essential to economic sufficiency. As such, we support education and execute literacy and education programmes. The subject of literacy (and skills development) is so important to us that from inception, Education and Capacity Building has been one of the four pillars of our Personal and Corporate Social Responsibility focus. We have and will continue to support the literacy and skills development of young people.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An organisation known as Jesin Games on Monday, April 7, 2025, launched a new educational game, AfriTrivia, in Lagos.
The trivial game was designed to promote facts about the African continent, improve awareness about Africa, even among Africans themselves, and to better connect the African Diaspora from all over the world to their continent of origin, according to the chairman advisory board of Jesin Games, Professor Soji Adelaja.
It was stated that AfriTrivia would amuse and challenge everyone with a host of intriguing questions for beginners and experts.
The game will also be launched in Marrakech at the African Heritage Concert and Award Ceremony this weekend, while that of United States launch will come up in few weeks to come.
“Many Africans know little or nothing about the rest of their continent, and many people in the diaspora have little opportunity to learn what they lack about their continent because they are left relying on books written by historians or other means of learning not presented by Africans,” Mr Adelaja stated.
He described AfriTrivia as more than just a trivia game but an educational tool that can be used to “discover all the cultural and historical diversity in Africa through different topics.”
The chief executive of Jesin Games, Mr John Esin, on his part, said, “AfriTrivia is a game that challenges you to test your knowledge on some of the most interesting categories like Quotations, History, Sports and Entertainment, Arts and Culture, Government and Politics, and People and Places about some of the historical sites such as the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela, to The Great Pyramids of Giza.
“It is meant for families to play together, friends to play with each other, and classrooms to become “creative centres of learning about our world.”
A former Governor of Cross Rivers State, Mr Donald Duke, while speaking at the unveiling of the product, praised the organisation for the initiative.
“AfriTrivia Jesin Games will fill the void of lack of knowledge about the African continent,” the former presidential candidate remarked, urging the developer to make it available for schools in Nigeria so that they can know more about Africa.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Nigerian students interested in getting funds for their tertiary education can now apply for the scholarship programme of MTN Foundation.
In the past 15 years, MTN Foundation has awarded 14,728 scholarships worth over N3 billion to students as part of its ongoing investment in education.
The scholars have been given platforms to acquire relevant skills and practical knowledge to thrive in today’s evolving job market.
This gesture has been done by the organisation to encourage excellence in academic pursuit, deepen diversity and inclusion by empowering blind students in Nigeria.
The main objective is to strengthen the development of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the country.
The scholarship is in three categories, the Science and Technology Scholarship (MTN STS), which is for all 300-level Science and Technology students with a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.5 (Second Class Upper or its equivalent); the MTN Scholarship for Blind Students (MTN SBS), which caters to the educational needs of blind students in 200-level with a minimum CGPA of 2.5 or its equivalent; and the Top 10 UTME scholarship for top 10 scoring candidates of the UTME, as announced by JAMB.
The application process is straightforward and conducted online, making it accessible for students nationwide. Eligible candidates are encouraged to visit mtn.ng/scholarships/ and apply before the application deadline on April 25, 2025.
Awardees are given N300,000 annually for three years until graduation, provided they maintain the minimum grade point requirement.
“Education is the backbone of national development, and at MTN Foundation, we are committed to ensuring that no bright mind is left behind due to financial constraints.
“This scholarship is not just about funding education; it is about investing in Nigeria’s future leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers,” an Executive Director of the MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya, stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Berkeley-based startup, SigIQ.ai, has emerged from 18 months of stealth with $9.5 million in funding to transform education through personalized AI tutoring that delivers elite-level instruction at affordable cost.
SigIQ.ai’s AI tutor came into consciousness when it took India’s UPSC civil service exam last June and achieved the highest score in the exam’s history, beating 1.3 million human candidates in under 7 minutes.
The seed round was co-led by House Fund and GSV Ventures, with participation from Duolingo, General Catalyst India (Venture Highway), Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia India), Calibrate Ventures and angel investors, such as Mr Andy Konwinski (Co-founder, Perplexity), Mr Christian Storm (Co-founder & CTO, Turnitin), Prof. Trevor Darrell (Berkeley AI Research, UC Berkeley), Prof. Jitendra Malik (Berkeley AI Research, UC Berkeley), Prof. Srini Devadas (MIT), Prof. Sharad Malik (Princeton) and others.
According to a statement shared with Business Post, the investment will accelerate hiring top talent, enhancing AI models, and scaling platforms to educational systems worldwide.
SigIQ.ai’s technology directly addresses “Bloom’s Two-Sigma Problem” – the research finding that students receiving one-on-one tutoring perform two standard deviations better than those in traditional classrooms.
According to the company, this educational disparity has persisted for decades, with personalized tutoring remaining a luxury reserved for the privileged few. The company’s revolutionary approach shifts the cost of personalization from human labor to AI computation, making world-class instruction accessible at unprecedented scale.
“We’re at a pivotal moment in education where modern GenAI can provide a personal 1:1 tutor to every student and reduce the cost of one-on-one learning from hundreds of dollars an hour to the cost of computation,” said Dr Karttikeya Mangalam, CEO and co-founder of SigIQ.ai noted.
“We’ve started by first creating a tutor that itself can ace the very exam students are preparing for. This is a necessary step to ensure accuracy and quality in teaching delivered. And will set a new benchmark in personalized education, making the highest-quality education accessible to everyone, regardless of geography or socioeconomic status, at a fraction of the traditional cost,” he added.
The company was founded in July 2023 by Dr Karttikeya Mangalam and Professor Kurt Keutzer, a distinguished Professor in the Berkeley AI Research (BAIR) Lab.
Growing up in Muzaffarpur, Bihar – a region where educational opportunities are limited – Dr Mangalam experienced firsthand the stark divide between small-town India and elite Western academic institutions. After completing his education at IIT Kanpur and then at UC Berkeley, he founded SigIQ.ai to democratize access to world-class education globally.
In just 18 months, SigIQ.ai has launched two products with remarkable traction. PadhAI, focused on UPSC exam preparation in India, has attracted over 200,000 learners in just six months. On June 16, 2024, moments after the actual 2-hour UPSC Prelims exam had finished, PadhAI’s AI tutor solved the entire paper in a live demonstration in under 7 minutes at The Leela in Delhi. It achieved a score of 175/200 – not just the highest score in 2024, but the highest score ever achieved in UPSC prelims history, far exceeding the typical qualifying score of 100/200. This historic achievement was covered by over 70 news outlets across India, including The Hindu and The Times of India.
The company’s newer offering, EverTutor.ai, designed for GRE preparation in the US market, has already gained more than 10,000 users since launching three months ago.
“SigIQ.ai isn’t just a regular EdTech startup — they’ve built an AI system that publicly demonstrated its ability to outperform both humans and leading commercial AI models on one of the world’s most challenging exams. This redefines what’s possible in personalized education,” said Mr Jeremy Fiance, Managing Director of The House Fund.
The company said SigIQ.ai is different from other educational AI tools in its approach to personalization. Unlike basic conversational AI that offers scripted or limited interactivity, SigIQ’s systems are highly interactive, responsive to follow-up questions, and capable of personalized instruction and feedback – not just chat.
Sharing some results, it said the technology replicates the behavior of a real tutor. Students using the platform report a 30-40 per cent increase in effective study hours while improving performance by 18 per cent in the first month, with over 75% feeling more confident tackling difficult topics within just three weeks.
Looking ahead, SigIQ.ai plans to expand its reach with EverTutor, supporting more GRE takers in the upcoming spring and fall and beyond standardized tests, SigIQ.ai envisions a future where their technology transforms education broadly, creating a new era where high-quality learning isn’t limited by geography, language, or economic status.
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