About Us

For centuries, humans have debated the extent to which our character and abilities are affected by our genes, compared to the effects of environmental factors such as education and living conditions. This concept is widely known as ‘nature vs nurture’. While both theories may have credibility, between them is an unknown factor called the ‘potential to improve’, which is what LarnEdu aims to maximise through education.

LarnEdu was born out of a desire to inspire and maximis the learning potential in every individual.  We believe that lifelong learning is a crucial element in the quest for self-actualisation through education.  We believe a little improvement today, when compounded over time, can make a big difference in fostering positive social change.

Since 2013, the site has grown from mainly serving students from Anglophone West African countries to serve thousands of users across Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Europe, and Australia.

Whether you’re a professional in a developed country looking for knowledge and enlightenment from best-selling thought-provoking books or a student in an underdeveloped nation in search for information relating to studying in top universities abroad or preparing for exams such as the IELTS or WASSCE, you’re in the right place.

Our Story

Once upon a time Giovanni Olakunori was born to West African family to parents who were both educated in the fields of Industrial Physics and Business. His parents held important positions in a church that believed having things like television or computers at home was an easy passage to committing   ‘sin’, especially where children are involved. With an inquisitive mind and almost no toys to keep him stimulated, Giovanni found other ways to entertain himself.  When he wasn’t playing with the wildlife in his garden, Giovanni spent hours away from home playing with his friends or using his snack money to pay for browsing time in Cyber Cafes. This was how he learnt to use computers and the internet. Fortunately, he was unperturbed by the punishments he received from him mother for this behaviour.

After his father passed away, Giovanni’s mother, who struggled financially to take care of her 5 children, changed her perspective on technology and even bought her son his first computer. As a teen, the idea of building websites fascinated Giovanni and attracting visitors without spending a dime on ads (because he couldn’t afford them). This was how he stumbled upon inbound marketing and web development.

He wanted to create a site to provide free actionable resources to help other students like himself wishing to proceed to higher institutions in West Africa or abroad. After sleepless nights, and a series of trial and error, LarnEdu.com was born (registered) on the 26th of December 2012 and hosted with about $100 which Giovanni received from his mum.

Over the years, Giovanni published resources and applied inbound marketing strategies that helped the site grow from around 300 visitors per month to over 50,000 unique visitors from over 90 countries. These resources included some of the best information on preparing for the WASSCE, SAT and more.  He even posted interviews he conducted with people such as Shree Bose, the first ever Google Science Fair winner, Harvard graduate and Piper co-founder.

After living in Nigeria, Ghana, Togo and Cyprus, Giovanni moved the UK to study Mechanical Engineering and Management at the University of Edinburgh, where he got recognised with the Launch.Ed Award, Innovation Initiative Grant and more

For 3 years, Giovanni’s work on LarnEdu took a backseat while he focused on his studies and other pursuits. It wasn’t until an issue with his sponsorship that forced him to withdraw from the University of Edinburgh, that Giovanni could refocus his attention on LarnEdu. In retrospect, he considers his forced withdrawal to be the best thing to have happened to him!

Today, he mostly spends his time studying for a distance learning degree in Mathematical Sciences and Economics, leading his small business team, developing his programming skills or hitting the gym.

He usually starts his day by exercising, meditating, playing chess and reading or studying.

Giovanni — through the influence of philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus and authors such as Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman — advocates for rationality, self-responsibility and being the best one can be no matter the daily struggles of life.

Social Profiles: Instagram| Facebook

Vision

To proactively invest in the human capital by inspiring and supporting individuals (particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa) in their quest to self-actualisation through education.

Mission

To inspire and support lifelong learning (particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa) by:

  • Publishing high-quality content relating to education on a regular basis
  • Encouraging more Sub-Saharan Africans to read books
  • Providing financial aid to the most promising students in need
  • Providing a great user experience
  • Growing revenue through offering services, ads or affiliate marketing

Values

  • To always seek to bring more value to the user in the form of content and user experience
  • To support projects in line with our mission and vision
  • To adapt with the changing trends

Types of Contents or Resources on LarnEdu

Book Summaries and Insights

Have you ever wanted to read five books a day? Now, this is possible. We create summaries of best-selling — primarily — non-fiction books and provide them to you at no additional cost.

In doing so, we help people discover great books from some of the most brilliant minds and learn on the go.

Discover a wealth of knowledge by visiting our book summaries and insights page.

Student Resources

LarnEdu has not drifted from its initial focus, which is to make useful educational materials accessible to all students at no cost. From resources relating to the SAT written in over 50 countries, WASSCE written in West Africa, free online courses administered by the world’s top institutions, to the lecture notes from the world’s top universities, there is something for all.

Other Learning Resources

We offer content in other areas relating to skill acquisition, small business and more.

Premium Services

In 2019, we started working on launching an affordable and helpful paid services to users from Anglophone West Africa to support our mission.

The Team

We’re a team of under a dozen individuals working on Larnedu.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Focus on Sub-Saharan Africa?

Africa the has progressed from being the land of ‘no hope’ to making improvements in infrastructure, technology, health and education which has decreased mortality rates and increased life expectancy.Today, 50% of the fastest growing economies in the world are in Sub-Saharan Africa and a UN population report (2019) predicts Africa will overtake Asia as the fastest growing continent by 2050.

This means Africa could be the next century’s economic growth powerhouse which will benefit the world. However, this promising future is threatened by the effects of poor government, corruption, poor infrastructure, pollution, ethnic/religious conflicts, poverty and unemployment that plagues the continent.

We believe investing in education is one crucial step to preparing Africa for a better future.

Do you Accept Guests Posts?

We accept guest posts. Check our write to us page for more information.

How Can I Support LarnEdu?

You can support us by sharing our work or making a donation.

Have questions or suggestions? Contact us.

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