In 2020, Ismail Eleburuike launched SchoolTry, an education management platform designed to streamline operations in African schools, after being prompted by a mentee's request for financial support to start a physical school in Katsina State. Instead of funding a traditional institution, Eleburuike proposed a digital alternative, drawing from his experience in Sweden and his dual Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering and Project Management. SchoolTry enables students to access courses, allows teachers to assign and grade work, and helps administrators manage school functions through a single platform. Initially targeting primary and secondary schools, the company later shifted focus to tertiary institutions.
SchoolTry was deployed in 45 Nigerian Army-managed Command Schools, but a leadership change led to its removal after one year. Despite this, 15 of those schools continued using the platform independently by paying out of pocket. The platform allows students to send transcripts globally in five clicks, though data migration issues have limited full activation in some institutions. At the University of Ilorin, the transcript service is fully functional. The company serves 400,000 users, with 90% in higher education, but only 0.2% are paying customers. Its main markets are Nigeria and Kenya, and it is headquartered in Sweden. Eleburuike has presented SchoolTry to Nigeria's Vice President during a visit to Sweden and has engaged with the Minister of Education and several state governors.
EdTech startups in Africa face significant hurdles, including poor connectivity, low device access, and investor skepticism. Edukoya, another EdTech, shut down in 2025 citing market readiness challenges. SchoolTry has also faced resistance from parents who refused to pay after deployment. Despite these obstacles, Eleburuike credits resilience and persistence for sustaining the venture.
SchoolTry's reliance on institutional adoption ignores the reality that most Nigerian schools lack the infrastructure to sustain digital platforms. Only 0.2% of its users pay for the service, exposing a deep mismatch between product design and market capacity. The fact that 15 Army schools resumed payments independently suggests value exists, but scalability remains unproven. A startup born in Sweden to fix Nigerian education must first answer whether it serves students or investors.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
