Cracking the Nigerian syllabus: How Ex-UNILAG students engineered an exam cheat-code

Dare Adeola and Olamide Onigbanjo, former University of Lagos students, initially aimed to create a comprehensive student super-app called UniBeta. They incorporated features like timetable scheduling, peer tutoring, and a marketplace for student vendors. However, their first attempt resulted in a buggy mobile app that failed app store reviews and nearly depleted their savings.

Recognizing the challenges, they refocused their efforts on creating targeted AI study tools. The founders began by conducting offline experiments, such as organizing peer tutoring sessions and producing campus lifestyle content. They also explored monetization opportunities by selling promotional slots to student entrepreneurs.

Despite their progress, the founders discovered that attempting to merge disparate products into a single app proved to be a mistake. The initial app had numerous bugs, technical issues, and failed to meet basic standards. The team had to rebuild the code and eventually separated the vendor marketplace as a standalone web application.

They realized that the demand for edtech solutions in Nigerian universities was seasonal, with high user engagement during exam periods and low engagement afterward. UniBeta now focuses on using AI to help Nigerian university students prepare for exams, addressing the specific needs and challenges faced by students during critical periods.