Agile Innovations & Technology:

Lessons from the Developing World

Kunmi Demuren

Over ten years experience driving

innovation in large-scale complex

projects including global strategy

(Merck pharmaceuticals) and business

development in emerging markets

(Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines

and Delta Airlines). He has successfully

connected many US companies to

Nigeria to solve some of the challenges

in the country.

Public Private Partners

GIBE is an Institute established for the 21st century Technopreneur (technology focused Entrepreneurs) and Business Manager to Learn, Create and provide sustainable Impact in emerging markets.

Intensive action-oriented 6months programme targeted toward breeding a new generation of smart, passionate and innovative value creators empowered with the required leadership experience needed to take on leadership roles in Venture Garden Group’s proprietary and Non-proprietary companies

West African’s first continuous Learning and Development School imprinting the Entrepreneurial DNA on employees of technology startups to enable them to break through barriers in emerging markets

Annual event brings together entrepreneurs, investors and CEOs

Eight teams of carefully selected Technology start-up with products targeted towards solving problems peculiar to the Nigerian Market

Solutions in production, projected revenue up to $20m annually:

• 1948 – Establishment of University of Ibadan

• 1961 - Establishment of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka

• 1962 - Establishment of the University of Ife and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria

• Since then, more Federal , State, and Private Universities have been established, bringing the total to 104 .

University Education in Nigeria

Responding to a Huge Unmet Need

• In response to the great demand to make in-country higher education more accessible, Michigan Virtual University and Venture Garden Group launched Nigeria's first comprehensive e-learning program in 2013.

• 1.2 million annual applicants to 104 tertiary institutions and yet only about 300,000 get admitted into universities each year.

Responding to a Huge Unmet Need

• The quest for education by employed individuals looking to further their education without having to leave their jobs is huge.

• eLearning is the only affordable approach to meet the demand for education in Nigeria (and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa).

Leveraging Challenges into Opportunities

• University physical space constraints severely limit access to higher education.

• Most university students need to keep full time jobs to afford higher education.

• Travel constraints are endemic – long distance, heavy traffic, and poor roads all act against obtaining higher education in Nigeria.

• Power and bandwidth constraints have limited educational technology programs.

• Moving traditional lecturers and lectures into on online, elearning environment.

Levels of Partnerships Required

Primary •VGG/Edutech NG •MVU • CDL @ OAU

Supporting • Sonic Foundry • Local and

International investors

The Primary Partnership: How Did MVU and Sonic Foundry Get Involved in eLearning in Nigeria?

• Bunmi Akinyemiju, President and CEO of VGG operates several technology companies in Mid-Michigan and Nigeria.

• VGG partnered with MVU for an e-learning solution based upon MediaSite® lecture capture to the CDL @ OAU.

MVU’s Cycle

of Innovation

Introduction

• Venture Garden Group (VGG) is a global technology group of strategically related companies. Edutech is the education focused arm of Venture Garden Nigeria.

• Obafemi Awolowo University is one of the top three (3) institutions in Nigeria. Their Centre for Distance Learning is the location for this elearning.

• MVU is a private, not-for-profit Michigan Corporation that operates one of the largest K-12 virtual schools in the U.S.

Sonic Foundry’s MediaSite Leveraged for Rapid Content Creation Strategy

• VGG needed to quickly capture entire F2F degree programs and present them in both online and offline formats.

• MVU’s extensive online learning experience would be leveraged by VGG.

• Prof Milton and MVU’s long-term relationship with Sonic Foundry allowed MVU to bring MediaSite in as the principal content creation strategy for VGG and CDL @ OAU.

Initial Hardware and Training/USA

• VGG hired Wale Olaiya to work with MVU and train the Edutech lecture capture team in Nigeria.

• MVU acquired two (2) ML HD recorders, travel cases, VodCast and customer assurance contracts in early January 2013.

• Wale came to the MVU office for ML recorder training before transporting the lecture capture components to Nigeria in late January.

Logistical Challenges in Nigeria

• OAU is in Ife • MicCom is in IIesa • ITTA is north of

Ibadan • VGG offices are in

Lagos – 200km to Ife – 250km it IIesa – 170 km to ITTA

Creating Elearning Materials

• Getting lecturers to develop their content in e-learning compliant format on their own was futile. Instead lecturers were taken to a vacation-like setting (MicCom) – to work on their content in Edutech-provided format.

• Many came without their course materials and laptops; others had no previous introduction to e-learning and what it entailed and were reoriented to the project.

Creating Elearning Materials (continued)

• To motivate lecturers, intellectual property payments were created and scheduled in three stages: engagement, content submission, and video capture.

• Post-MicCom makeup sessions were held, lecturers that missed the 1st training were given a month to submit their work.

• Results: 90% content transfer from lecturers, high rate of buy-in once they saw the Mediasite solution in action.

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Experience

• The IITA resort was selected to provide Lecturers with focus.

• Lecturers were given their schedules and allotted time slot two weeks ahead of time to allow them to adequate time to prepare.

Keys to Success: Experienced Leaders on the Ground

Professor Abiola Lanre Awosika-Fapetu was hired as the General Manager of Edutech Nigeria Ltd in 2012.

Welcoming Dr. Afolabi (one of OAU’s lecturers).

Prof. “Abby” monitoring the lecture capture session.

Critical Lecturer Training Sessions Preceded the Recording Sessions

Personal appearance training and dry run practice sessions.

Standardized presentation templates provided.

Getting Started

• Two recorders and peripheral equipment arrived and was tested.

• The initial lecture capture ran between the 3rd and 24th of February, 2013 with a lot of excitement.

• The lecture capture was scheduled to begin simultaneously in two studio rooms.

The VGG/Edutech Team @ ITTA

Dr. Afolabi, Mr. Oyekan, Mr. Femi Ige, Kenny G, Mr. Michael Jeje (sitting), Mrs. Afolabi, Ms. Ololade, Mr. James, and Professor Abiola Awosika experiencing MediaSite for the first time.

Brainstorming Leads to Breakthrough with Smartboards!

• During the first few days the team engineered a way to integrate the use of Smartboards into the lecture capture in both studios.

• Three image inputs were then possible (the video camera, the laptop with PPT, and the Smartboard).

• This resulted in increased confidence on the team and a more complete lecture capture.

For many lecturer’s, this was the first time that they had ever been recorded giving a lecture.

LECTURERS: BREAKING WITH TRADITION

STATS: First Three Weeks of Lecture Capture

• 514 out of 974 course modules were recorded in the first three weeks – 13 course completed in Accounting – 19 courses completed in Education – 4 courses completed in Nursing

• A total of Fifty Eight (58) Lecturers were recorded within the same time frame.

The VGG Team On-Site @ IITA

• Gbenga Jayeoba (Tech Team) • Haruna Yinka (Tech Team) • Bayo Oyekan (OAU) • Jejelola Micheal (Tech Team) • Prof Abiola Olanrewaju

Awosika (Edutech) • Fehintolu Olaogun (Tech

Team) • Temitope Takuro (VGG) • Femi Ige (VGG) • Lolade Esan (Tech Team) • Alade-dauda Omolara (Tech

Team) • Yinka Fakunmoju (Edutech) • Mayowa Olajide (OAU) • Gbenga Olaniyi (IITA)

Components of the Edutech eLearning Platform

5,000 VigiTabs produced

for OAU roll-out

Improved Physical Infrastructure

Artist’s Rendering – The new Center for Distance Learning building at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, Nigeria, now under construction.

New CDL building, in-country Data Center, increased bandwidth, LMS, and custom netbooks for students.

Status Report on the Major Program Activities

• LMS (Vigilearn) and SIS (Eduportal) integration provides end-to-end solution

• Vigitab custom tablet devices and linked AirTel Nigeria® Internet access

• Marketing through advertisement, social media, SMS and email, traditional media, websites for each school

• Student Loan initiative is under development and at the proposal stage

Plans to Expand to Other Universities and Countries in Africa

• MOU with Ahmedu Bello University

• Other universities in the pipeline include:

– University of Lagos, University of Benin, University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the University of Abuja.

• Countries include Kenya, Ghana, Botswana and South Africa

• Presenting in May at the 9th Annual eLearning Africa conference in Kampala

Questions and Contact Information

Bill Knapp, Partner Bill.Knapp@VentureGardenGroup.com +1 517-281-9518 Venture Garden Group - EduTech

2501 Coolidge Road Suite 503 East Lansing, MI 48823 6B Wole Olateju Off Admiralty Way Lekki Phase 1 Lagos