Adewale Yusuf has stepped down as chief executive officer of Nigerian edtech startup AltSchool Africa after five years in the role, with co-founder Akintunde Sultan taking over the position with immediate effect.
Yusuf, who co-founded the education technology company with Sultan and Opeyemi Awoyemi in 2021, said he would remain involved in a leadership capacity while spending more time with his family in the United States.
Speaking to Techpoint Africa, Yusuf said the decision would allow Sultan to lead the company’s next phase while he takes a step back from its day-to-day operations.
“It’s time for me to move away and actually support the team from maybe the director and leadership point. I just realised that it would be good for my co-founder to take over, and I can now spend more time with my family here in the US,” he said.
Under Yusuf’s leadership, AltSchool Africa has grown to more than 200,000 users through its technology-focused learning programmes, which provide alternative pathways for Africans seeking digital skills and career opportunities.
However, the company’s next phase will focus less on expanding its user numbers and more on delivering greater value to existing learners, according to Sultan.
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One of the initiatives expected to drive this shift is Degree, a programme through which AltSchool Africa partners with universities to provide students with pathways to formal academic qualifications.
The initiative represents an expansion of the company’s original skills-based education model into degree programmes, allowing learners to pursue recognised academic qualifications alongside career-focused training.
AltSchool Africa currently offers degree pathways through partnerships with the American Open University of Nigeria and Germany’s Tomorrow University. The programmes cover fields including cybersecurity and information technology.
The move builds on the company’s longstanding ambition to bridge the gap between alternative education and traditional university qualifications. In 2022, the startup explored a partnership with Michael and Cecilia Ibru University.
With Sultan assuming leadership, AltSchool Africa is expected to concentrate on strengthening its educational offerings and expanding its model beyond technical skills training.
The leadership transition comes as the company seeks to deepen the value of its programmes for learners while developing new routes to formal qualifications in an increasingly competitive digital education market.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
