Beyond the Classroom: Inside Interswitch’s Journey to Nurturing the Next Generation of African Innovators

What happens when young people are given more than just a classroom, but a platform to actually question, create, experiment and build? For Interswitch, the answer to this question lies in the Interswitch Discovery Series: an initiative designed to harness the innovative and creative potential of students in tertiary institutions and equip them with the mindset and practical tools to turn ideas into meaningful solutions.

The latest phase of the initiative has taken that ambition to three new institutions: Ekiti State University, Lead City University, Oyo State and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Oyo State. Across the three campuses, students were immersed in an intensive 3-day experience that moved beyond conventional lectures, to hands-on experimentation, encouraging them to approach everyday challenges as opportunities for innovation.

The Discovery Series is part of Interswitch’s broader #SwitchAFuture initiative and sits within the company’s education-focused Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability interventions. Its objective is not simply to expose students to technology, but to build the capacity to think differently, solve problems collaboratively and develop ideas with the potential to create real value.

Since its inaugural edition at Babcock University in Ogun State in March 2024, the Discovery Series has evolved into a growing platform for connecting academia and industry. The programme has subsequently engaged students at institutions within and outside Nigeria including Landmark University, Cosmopolitan University, Redeemer’s University, Covenant University and Afe Babalola University, among others.

This initiative reflects an important shift in how young people can be prepared for the future of work. Academic knowledge remains essential, but today’s economy increasingly demands the ability to identify problems, understand people, test assumptions, collaborate across disciplines and develop solutions that are both useful and sustainable. These are the capabilities at the heart of the Discovery Series.

Taking a closer look at the programme, it navigates participants through an entrepreneurship workshop, where they explore entrepreneurial thinking and the possibility of creating value from their respective ideas. This is complemented by critical design thinking and human-centred design sessions which introduce students to practical approaches for understanding problems from the consumer’s perspective and developing solutions around genuine needs.

The learning is then put into applied through a Hackathon, where students collaborate, challenge their assumptions and work towards a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The experience culminates in a Grand Pitch, giving participants the opportunity to present their products, defend their rationale and receive constructive feedback, while competing for exciting prizes.

For Interswitch, the programme also represents an opportunity to strengthen the connection between the private sector and higher education. The company has described the Discovery Series as a collaborative “town-meets-gown” innovation and idea discovery programme, creating a space where industry experience and academic knowledge can meet.

The ambition extends beyond individual campuses and beyond the shores of Nigeria, targeting tertiary institutions across Africa and reflecting Interswitch’s wider commitment to build technology and innovation capacity across the continent. Since inception, the initiative has crossed Nigeria’s borders, engaging institutions such as Epitech University in the republic of Benin.

As the programme continues to expand, its impact can ultimately be measured not only by the number of universities visited or students reached, but by what those students go on to build, the problems they solve and the value they create for their communities.

The Discovery Series is therefore more than a series of campus events. It is a continuous conversation between education, industry and innovation, one that challenges young Africans to look at the world around them, identify what can be better and, most importantly, believe they can be part of building the solution.

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