AltSchool Africa, an African edtech company, has unveiled a new flexible learning programme, Nano Diplomas, aimed at making education more accessible, affordable and adaptable for learners across the continent.
Adewale Yusuf, Chief Executive Officer of AltSchool Africa, speaking at The AltSchool Experience event in Lagos on Tuesday, said the initiative was designed in response to feedback from learners who found the existing 12-month diploma course too rigorous to balance with work and other commitments.
Yusuf said, “The new programme will break courses into smaller, credit-based modules, allowing learners to study at their own pace while still earning certifications that can be stacked into a full diploma.”
He explained that AltSchool, founded three years ago with a focus on technology, has since expanded into data, product design, cybersecurity and soft skills. The platform is also developing content in Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, French and Swahili to reach more diverse learners.
Yusuf said, “We are not just a tech school. We are an alternative school, a skill school. Education should not be locked behind walls or privilege; it should be accessible to everyone.”
Wunmi Adewale, Senior Marketing Manager of AltSchool Africa, described AltSchool as a movement rather than a conventional institution, highlighting a community of more than 130,000 learners across over 100 countries. Graduates of the programme, she added, now work at global firms including Google, Microsoft and Infineon.
Yusuf made it clear that the Nano Diploma was built to foster inclusion by reducing barriers of cost, language and access. He said, “For the first time, we are building an inclusive experience. Some people talk about inclusion, but we are doing it.”
AltSchool also announced it had secured full accreditation from the UK-based Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and Universities, ensuring that certifications remain globally recognised.
Yusuf reaffirmed the company’s ambition to become the largest alternative school in the world. He said, “We are building the most innovative online school in Africa, and our dream is to be the biggest on the planet.”
