Regardless of where you are in Africa, Nucleus will make sure tech skills training is accessible to you
Team Leader
Eyitayo Ogunmola
Utiva is an AI-powered operating system that helps companies hire, manage, upskill, and pay global talent compliantly across borders — all in one simple, plug-and-play platform.
Solution Pitch
The Problem
How can African companies thrive in a digital economy without a well-trained workforce? 2 out of every 3 African graduates are unemployed—yet there are roughly 3.5 million entry-level vacancies that go unfilled each year. This is a reflection of the continent's skills gap. Digital skills learning can be a costly challenge in Africa, where it is on-average 4 times more expensive to learn remotely due to the cost of internet access.
The Solution
By providing the Nucleus directly to African youth, Utiva is bridging the digital skills gap across Africa.
The Nucleus is an encrypted hardware with more than 70 different structured and tech skills learning programs accessible with or without internet connection. The training programs are developed by a network of 350 faculty and consist of video, voice note instructions, and assignments. To complement the learning experience, virtual coaching systems and accountability partners are available to each learner weekly through a simple Chat-bot. The hardware is a 300G encrypted tab with an earpiece with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and a battery life span of 12 hours.
Stats
Utiva trained over 6,000 people within 2 years, achieving an 85 percent completion rate on learning programs, 90 percent completion rate on the virtual internship, and a 65 percent transition into new jobs.
Market Opportunity
By 2030, over 230 million jobs in Africa will require digital skills. According to the International Finance Corporation, this translates to training opportunities for roughly 625 million people, an estimated $120 billion market. According to the McKinsey Institute, 75 percent of employers in Africa currently find it hard to fill roles that are critical to the growth of their business due to the skills gap. Digital illiteracy is a major barrier to employment among the 200 million young people in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet more than 85 percent of people in Africa abandon virtual skills training because of the associated cost. Currently, an average professional in Nigeria spends about $200 for technology upskilling and can pay as high as $1500. Meanwhile, The Nucleus provides a device and 2 digital courses for $80 with follow up courses costing as low as $40.
Organization Highlights
Founder Eyitayo Ogunmola named a Global Good Fund Fellow in 2019
Launched the Wunming Scholarship – an initiative to empower 500 people with disabilities through digital skills training
Selected for Halcyon Incubator's program, Facebook Community Accelerator, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency Accelerator in 2020
Featured in The Guardian, Tech Next, Techpoint, and more
Partnership Goals
Utiva currently seeks:
Opportunities to raise new capital
Partnerships with education and international NGOs
What is the name of your organization?
Utiva
What is the name of your solution?
Utiva
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Utiva is an AI-powered operating system that helps companies hire, manage, upskill, and pay global talent compliantly across borders — all in one simple, plug-and-play platform.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Lagos
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Nigeria
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-Profit
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
Global hiring is broken for most companies. Unlike large tech firms, 65% of growing businesses lack the infrastructure to source, verify, and pay talent across borders, forcing them to juggle multiple tools. Meanwhile, millions of skilled professionals remain underutilized. The real problem isn’t talent—it’s infrastructure.
What is your solution?
Utiva is the infrastructure that makes global hiring simple. We built an AI-powered operating system that combines talent matching, assessments, compliance, and cross-border payroll into one plug-and-play platform. Instead of using multiple tools and vendors, companies can hire, manage, upskill, and pay global talent seamlessly—while our AI agents handle the complexity behind the scenes.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Utiva serves two primary groups: skilled professionals across 39+ countries and mid-sized companies in regions like the DMV, New York, and the UK that want to hire globally but lack the infrastructure to do so.
For talent—especially those from emerging markets—we unlock access to stable, higher-paying global jobs. This means increased income (often 2–4× local earnings), career growth, leadership development, and long-term economic mobility.
For companies, we remove the friction of global hiring—simplifying sourcing, compliance, payroll, and management into one system. This allows them to scale faster, reduce operational risk, and compete globally without needing Big Tech–level hiring infrastructure.
In short, we turn global opportunity into something accessible and scalable—for both sides.
