Nigerian edtech company Gradely has announced the appointment of Adebayo Alomaja as its new Deputy CEO. Adebayo Alomaja, who initially joined Gradely as a tutor in 2019, has been instrumental in driving the company’s international tutoring business to achieve six-figure annual recurring revenue. In his new role, Alomaja, also known as “BayoGPT,” will concentrate on enhancing Gradely’s growth strategy and expanding its overall impact.
Currently, Gradely serves over 150,000 students globally and collaborates with more than 150 tutors across various markets. Adebayo Alomaja expressed his enthusiasm for the new position, stating, “This presents a great opportunity for me to solve bigger problems, and I’m looking forward to the adventure,”
In the upcoming months, Alomaja plans to conduct a thorough review of Gradely’s growth strategies, invest in market insights, and initiate a rebranding effort for the next phase of the company’s development. He outlined his key priorities, emphasizing the importance of fostering a supportive team environment and enhancing customer focus. “For the team, we’ll double down on psychological safety and teamwork. For the product, we’ll be more customer-centric while improving our Net Promoter Score. And for marketing, we’ll expand our diaspora growth team,” he noted.
Boye Oshinaga, CEO of Gradely, praised Alomaja’s capabilities, stating;
Adebayo has proven to be not just an exceptional educator but a visionary leader with strong business acumen. What’s most exciting for me is to have someone that thinks long term and is as strategic as myself in building alongside me and the team.
Founded in 2021, Gradely offers personalized learning experiences for K-12 students, encompassing education from kindergarten through Senior Secondary School 3 (equivalent to 12th grade in Nigeria). Although based in Nigeria, the platform has extended its reach to eight countries, including Kenya, Ghana, and Uganda, as well as serving Africans in the diaspora. The e-learning platform, accessible via web and mobile, has delivered over 25,000 lessons, highlighting its growing influence in the education sector.
Oshinaga elaborated on Gradely’s vision, stating, “Gradely’s vision is to build highly innovative edtech and education products for a global market while solving the deep challenges of basic education back home.” In the competitive Nigerian edtech landscape, where rivals like uLesson focus on offline-accessible content and reducing data costs, Gradely distinguishes itself by empowering teachers and offering data-driven solutions for monitoring student performance. The company employs adaptive learning techniques to tailor challenge levels for students and provides online tutoring, which is a significant component of its business model aimed at parents seeking dedicated internet solutions.
Prior to his appointment as Deputy CEO, Alomaja was recognized for his contributions to education through Eazi-Digi, an education consulting firm he founded. Eazi-Digi leverages research, technology, and networking to develop future-ready learning systems in collaboration with schools. As Gradely approaches its fifth year of operation, this leadership transition signifies a commitment to sustainable growth in a challenging market. The Nigerian edtech landscape has proven difficult to navigate, with companies like Edukoya recently shutting down despite strong investor backing.
Industry analysts have identified several ongoing challenges in the sector, including the need to find product-market fit before scaling, accurately assessing the true addressable market size, and addressing distribution issues within fragmented educational systems. Gradely’s strategy of forming direct partnerships with schools and focusing on monetization through parents appears to be its response to these market realities, positioning the company for continued growth and impact in the education sector.
