A Nigerian education technology startup founded on a single teacher’s conviction is emerging as one of the continent’s most closely watched innovators, after securing recognition from the World Bank’s private sector arm and scaling its AI-driven platform across schools in Africa.
Safeticha, co-founded by Princess Onwuka and Damilare Adepoju, has completed the SheWins Africa Accelerator Programme run by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), placing it among a select group of 100 top female-led startups across Africa chosen for support in the programme’s inaugural cohort.
The milestone marks a decisive moment for a company that launched in 2022 with a narrow focus on classroom management. It has since evolved into a broader AI-powered learning system that integrates analytics, lesson planning and personalised educational tools.
For Onwuka, the journey has been marked by both resistance and resilience. Reflecting on the company’s early days, she said:
“CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? Safeticha has been awarded by the World Bank… Even writing that feels surreal. Who would have thought that leaving my job in 2022 to build an education solution with Damilare would lead here?”
The company’s trajectory mirrors a wider shift in African innovation, where founders are increasingly deploying artificial intelligence not as an abstract capability, but as a practical tool embedded in classrooms, farms and financial systems.
Safeticha’s platform is designed to address uneven learning outcomes driven by overcrowded classrooms, limited teacher support and fragmented data systems. By combining behaviour tracking, performance analytics and adaptive lesson planning, the platform enables teachers to tailor instruction and monitor student progress in real time.
Since launch, the company says it has reached hundreds of schools and thousands of students, working directly with educators and school owners to implement data-driven interventions and personalised learning systems.
Adepoju, a software developer with experience across banking, fintech and education systems, has led the platform’s technical architecture, ensuring scalability across diverse school environments.
The company’s inclusion in the IFC-backed programme signals growing institutional interest in AI-driven education models capable of delivering measurable improvements, rather than simply digitising existing teaching methods.
“Safeticha shows that technology, when applied thoughtfully, can genuinely enhance learning for all students,” Onwuka said. “With the World Bank’s support, we can continue refining our approach and help schools achieve measurable improvements in both learning outcomes and classroom management.”
The endorsement comes as global education systems undergo rapid transformation, with AI increasingly deployed to personalise learning and improve efficiency. In Africa, where more than 50 per cent of the population is under 20, the stakes are particularly high. Education systems must scale rapidly while maintaining quality, an equation that traditional models have struggled to solve.
Safeticha’s rise also reflects a broader trend in African venture ecosystems moving toward founder-led, impact-driven companies tackling foundational sectors such as education, healthcare and agriculture. Investors and development finance institutions are increasingly prioritising solutions that combine commercial viability with measurable social outcomes.
The company’s growth has not been without friction. Onwuka recounts a defining moment shortly after launch, during an early-stage pitch event designed to test founders under pressure.
“I watched the first founder get completely torn down… The second presenter… was also picked apart,” she said. “Then it was my turn… The questions came from every corner of the room, sharp and relentless.”
At one point, she said, a critic openly challenged both her approach and conviction. “A man shouted that I was too proud and unwilling to listen, that the model would not work.”
Her response was unequivocal: “I said I believed it would.”
The exchange escalated to the point where organisers ended the session early. Yet the episode became a turning point rather than a setback.
“He told me you cannot love your idea so much that you refuse criticism. I agree with that completely,” Onwuka said. “But I also believe that even if no one else believes in your idea, you must believe in it fully and unapologetically.”
In a reversal emblematic of the startup journey, she added, “Amazingly, last year, that same man reached out to say he was inspired by what we were building and grateful that we did not give up.”
Safeticha is now in discussions with school networks and organisations to deploy a unified AI-powered system across multiple institutions, aiming to standardise quality and expand access to personalised learning across the continent.
Across Africa, the education technology sector is gaining traction as governments, private investors and development agencies converge around the need to modernise learning systems. The pandemic accelerated digital adoption, but it also exposed deep structural gaps, creating space for platforms like Safeticha to move from pilot projects to system-level solutions.
For Onwuka and Adepoju, the focus remains execution.
The company’s statement captures the broader ambition, leveraging AI not as a substitute for teachers, but as a tool to enhance teaching, improve outcomes and create more inclusive classrooms.
As African startups continue to redefine the boundaries of innovation, Safeticha’s trajectory offers a clear signal that the continent’s next generation of founders is not waiting for systems to evolve, they are building them.
