What is the name of your organization?
Mavis Computel Limited
What is the name of your solution?
Mavis Basic Education Suite
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
We deliver quality mother-tongue Foundational Literacy and Numeracy to Out-of-School Children using Mavis Talking Books and Teacher's Guide.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Abuja (F.c.t.) 904105, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Nigeria
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children globally (18.3 million, UNICEF, 2024), with rural areas disproportionately affected. A severe teacher shortage exacerbates the crisis: Nearly 200,000 trained teachers are needed to address extremely low teacher-student ratios (UNICEF, 2024). Language barriers deepen the gap—English is the medium of instruction, yet most rural children speak only local languages, further limiting effective educators.
Though the introduction of technology is a good way to bring structured quality content to the learners, conventional solutions (computers, tablets) fail due to lack of electricity, internet, and theft risks.
Even teacher-focused technology interventions that don’t simultaneously encourage high levels of engagement and participation from the learners collapse when trained educators leave for urban opportunities. Meanwhile, overcrowded classrooms and whole-class teaching methods make it nearly impossible for teachers to identify or support struggling learners individually—perpetuating cycles of disengagement and dropout. Without scalable, adaptable solutions, millions will remain locked out of education.
What is your solution?
Our solution is a combination of two technologies: The Mavis Talking Books® and Teacher’s Guide, aimed at engaging the learner and empowering the Learning Facilitator.
The Mavis Talking Books® simply consists of the Mavis Pen® and the Mavis Books® (containing quality curriculum-based and approved content). Tap on the Book with the Pen to enter an interesting and interactive audio-visual world with easy-to-understand lessons in foundational literacy and numeracy, filled with games and songs designed to make learning engaging. With the content delivered in their mother tongue or the language of their immediate environment, assimilation is easier and learning outcomes are greatly improved.
The Mavis Talking Books are used in a carefully designed Small Group Learning Model which involves learners in groups of 3 sharing one Mavis Talking Book kit. A Learning Facilitator can monitor up to 10 – 14 of these small groups, checking to ensure that all the learners are well engaged.
The Teacher's Guide, an AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot, helps Learning Facilitators (including respected community members in rural areas) know before lessons how to effectively use Mavis Talking Books during lessons for better learning outcomes. It also improves Teacher Development.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Our solution serves two main categories of people:
1. Learners in underserved communities: These children don't have access to quality learning opportunities or teachers with subject content expertise in the local language to help them learn. This has led to a loss of interest in education, and many of them are easily co-opted into insurgent groups, further worsening insecurity in Nigeria. Providing them with access to a quality education using basic technology in a language they understand improves their overall well-being, gives them something to hope for and puts them in a better place to benefit from other interventions. The group learning model also develops their sense of community and responsibility.
2. Learning Facilitators: These can be teachers in the area or respected members of their community. They don’t have enough subject knowledge or facilitation expertise. They are also provided with the Talking Books to give them the subject content expertise they need.. They use the chatbot to get information on activities to assess learning outcomes and tips on their professional development. This close monitoring brings Learning Facilitators and learners together.
The ripple effect of this positively affects the parents of the children and the whole community.
