Welcome to our exclusive interview with Onyekachi Ginger-Eke, the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of EduTech Global. With a passion for problem-solving and a deep understanding of the business landscape, Onyekachi is recognized for her exceptional leadership and ability to develop practical solutions for businesses. Her expertise and dynamic management style have propelled EduTech Global to the forefront of the global education sector.
In this interview, Onyekachi shares insights into the vision behind EduTech Global, the importance of accessible education, and the company’s innovative approach to revolutionizing the education landscape through technology. She also provides valuable advice for beginners in their career journeys and highlights the key factors that contribute to the company’s success.
Join us as we delve into the world of EduTech Global and gain valuable insights from Onyekachi Ginger-Eke’s wealth of experience and visionary leadership.
What is the idea behind your company?
EduTech Global was founded with the aim of making global education accessible to everyone. Currently, there are over 244 million out-of-school children and youths worldwide, with 56 million of them residing in sub-Saharan Africa. Recognizing the significance of this alarming statistic, we identified the need to provide a solution to address the issue arising from the lack of easy access to quality education.
Our primary focus is to bridge the gap between the demand for and access to quality education, regardless of an individual’s location, background, or economic status. Through our efforts, we strive to create a more equitable society and contribute to the achievement of SDG 4 – Quality Education.
How did you begin your career journey? Do you have some advice for beginners?
I have over 20 years of experience in general and strategic management, encompassing various areas such as designing and implementing business and IT solutions, Human Resources, Project Management, and conducting both business and academic research.
Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of managing projects with renowned global companies including KPMG, Accenture, Microsoft, Unified Payments, and Venture Garden Group, operating across sectors such as Advisory, Business, Fintech, and Govtech.
The wealth of experience gained from my roles as a Business/Financial Advisor and in other strategic leadership positions has equipped me with the necessary expertise to co-found and lead a global edtech company with multiple subsidiaries across different countries.
For beginners, I strongly advise emphasizing the adage that ‘no knowledge is wasted.’ Maintain a hunger for experience and view each opportunity as a stepping stone towards your future, whether it be as a senior employee or an entrepreneur. Every experience provides valuable lessons, teaching you what to do or what not to do in your future endeavors.
What is the goal of Your Company?
Our goal is to push the boundaries and make a significant impact in the global education sector by harnessing the power of technology to create innovative solutions that democratize access to education worldwide.
We embarked on this mission by launching the EduTech platform, which enables students to easily explore and pursue suitable academic opportunities on a global scale. This achievement has been made possible through strategic academic partnerships, student recruitment efforts, and comprehensive student advisory services. Through EduTech, individuals seeking education can effortlessly connect with institutions that align with their academic background and financial capacity.
Since our inception, we have established long-term contracts with several prestigious Ivy League Universities. This has enabled us to offer thousands of students in Africa and around the world the opportunity to access quality higher education. In addition, we have provided our academic partners with a wealth of educational resources to enhance their offerings.
Recognizing other gaps within the education sector, we have expanded our reach through the deployment of our subsidiary companies: Vigilearn Technologies (comprising Apply, Ediify and Studio) and Bursery. Vigilearn Technologies focuses on developing innovative e-learning and management software, while Bursery provides educational financing opportunities.
As we move forward, we envision a future where learning is more personalized, interactive, and accessible than ever before. We are committed to driving this vision and revolutionizing education through technology.
How important are employees’ energy levels to the success of Your Company?
I believe that a company’s success is directly linked to the performance of its team. Understanding the significance of ensuring productivity, we strive to recruit the most capable individuals with a positive attitude towards work. Additionally, we have established a strong work structure that encourages innovation and empowers employees to showcase their utmost potential.
How do you plan to motivate your team to go an extra mile
First and foremost, we consider ourselves a community, and within this community, fostering a thriving work environment is paramount for the personal and professional growth of each team member.
To achieve this, we establish clear expectations, ensuring that every team member understands their role and responsibilities. Moreover, we leverage technology to streamline the creative process, utilizing project management software, communication tools, and automation tools. This enhances the efficiency of our work and contributes to a seamless workflow for everyone involved.
Furthermore, we prioritize the development of our employees by offering training and growth opportunities. Equally important, we have implemented a rewarding system to recognize and acknowledge the contributions of each team member.
To maintain a healthy work-life balance, we have incorporated team bonding activities and other initiatives to encourage rest, bonding, and connection among our team.
What keeps Your Company moving forward even during challenges?
Speed and agility, resilience, and a never-say-die spirit are the core attributes that drive us forward. The unwavering goal and mission of our company serve as the fuel that keeps us motivated and determined to achieve success. Each team member shares this resilient spirit, empowering us to overcome the challenges we encounter on a daily basis.
How do you think technology is leading to changes in businesses? Do you feel it’s helping Your Company grow?
We are a technology company that recognizes and promotes the transformative role of technology in business. It has enhanced various aspects of business operations, such as globalization, productivity, automation, data collection, and workforce improvement. Understanding the significance of this tool, we leverage its benefits to provide solutions in the educational sector.
For example, during the pandemic, school closures impacted at least 168 million users, affecting over 1.5 billion learners globally, according to UNESCO. Through our educational technology solutions, we have established a platform to address such disruptions and ensure equal access to education for individuals worldwide.
Continuously developing and advancing technologies, we strive to create a sustainable future for global education, with a particular focus on reaching marginalized communities.
How is Your Company adapting to digitalization?
We are a technology-driven company, and as such, digitalization is an integral part of our operations.
First and foremost, we prioritize innovation and leverage modern technologies to enhance our digital presence and establish more meaningful connections with our customers. This includes investing in automation, communication, data storage, and customer service tools. Furthermore, we actively provide digital skills training to our employees, enabling them to enhance their capabilities and contribute more effectively to our organization.
In addition, given the dynamic nature of the education technology field, we remain committed to continuous research and exploration of new developments and insights within the industry. We strive to apply these findings to our business practices, while also seeking opportunities for collaboration with like-minded businesses that share our interests and goals.
Do you use innovative ideas to be unique?
Definitely. Innovation is at the heart of what we do. We continuously strive to innovate and meet the diverse needs of individuals seeking education, regardless of their academic background or financial status. Our success in achieving this goal is attributed to our development of unique technologies that address specific challenges within the education industry.
We initially focused on providing education and student advisory services and, over the years, we have expanded our offerings with the development of technologies such as Apply, Studio, Ediify, and Bursery. Each of these solutions is designed to support our mission of ensuring easy accessibility to education for everyone.
At our core, we are an innovative team, consistently introducing novel solutions to address issues within the education and technology sectors.
What are the services/solutions or products offered by Your Company as par with the current industry standards? Tell us something about your upcoming products or services?
Our services range from providing Software as a Service to learning institutions, corporate organizations, NGOs, and government entities for educational purposes, as well as for training and conferencing purposes. We also offer Student Recruitment and Advisory Services, education financing, and recently expanded into instruction design, curriculum development, and delivery.
Recently, we launched our web conferencing platform called Studio, and we are planning to release the mobile app for Studio in the coming months to enhance accessibility and provide more options for users.
In our efforts to ensure access to quality education for everyone, we are gearing up for the launch of the $200,000 Bursery Scholarship Initiative. This initiative aims to support students in various academic institutions across Africa by alleviating their financial burdens. We are partnering with selected institutions in the first phase of the scholarship initiative, and we are actively seeking partnerships with more academic institutions, financial institutions, and individuals to expand our reach and fund more students across Africa.
Would you like to say anything else to our viewers?
From a UNESCO statistic in 2022, it is estimated that approximately 244 million children and youth between the ages of 6 and 18 worldwide are still unable to attend school. Education plays a crucial role in personal and socio-economic development, and it is imperative that we prioritize it accordingly.
As a business, we are dedicated to making education more accessible on a global scale, with a particular focus on Africa and emerging markets. However, we acknowledge that we cannot accomplish this goal alone. It is essential to foster collaboration among governments, NGOs, and individuals to drive meaningful impact. Therefore, we eagerly anticipate further collaborations that will enable us to reach even more people around the world.
Connect with Onyekachi Ginger-Eke on LinkedIn.
Find EduTech Global on LinkedIn or visit https://www.edutech.global/.