“Tell me and I forget, Teach me and I rememberInvolve me and I learn.”
“The jury is still out on who the true originator of this almost flawless quote is. Some say it’s Benjamin Franklin, the best United States President that never was because of the humongous influence he wielded in his country during his lifetime and the incredible number of firsts that he clocked up as both an inventor and an innovator; hence why the nation’s currency is proudly emblazoned with his image till this day. Others have credited this quote to Confucius, the famous Chinese philosopher of ancient times who remains revered globally till now. Truth is, it hardly matters who the originator of this quote is. What does matter is that it’s an irrefutable fact. So, we at Wowbii took this observation to heart and decided to make available to the African continent and in particular to the students, something that will not only help them to hear or remember but will enhance their ability to learn. Whether the student be what we may call a conventional learner or a different learner, with the Wowbii Budd, they will all learn.” These are the comforting reassuring words of Sir Gbolahan Olayomi.
Olayomi, the founder of Equipment Hall Ltd and Wowbii Interactive, manufacturers of the Wowbii Budd – much like the aforementioned Benjamin Franklin, can boast of one or two firsts too. Having remained the largest distributor of Dell products in West Africa for several years, in 2015 they took a huge leap forward which saw them become Africa’s pioneer manufacturer of flat panel displays. Their panels which have become a must-have item both in school classrooms and in corporate boardrooms are presently revolutionising the way Africa works and learns. And make no mistake, this is nothing like the more commonly known white board. This technology provides interactive and collaborative solutions in the classroom remotely, enables you to save everything done on the board, permits you to engage the internet so information is readily available at your fingertip and even supports blended and hybrid learning. Quite simply, it introduces you to a whole new world of endless possibilities.
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As the founder stated during his speech as one of the keynote speakers at the just concluded GESS, Dubai Education Conference, held at the Lagos Sheraton, the Wowbii interactive board was made with Africa in mind. Taking into cognisance all the peculiarities this implies, the board is extremely robust and rugged. This is a fact that his large customer base which includes top private secondary schools across the country such as Greensprings, Meadow Hall, Starville School in Abuja and Charles Dale School in Port-Harcourt amongst others – tertiary institutions such as Covenant University, Babcock University and Afe Babalola University – corporate bodies such as MTN – as well several state government houses, can attest to. It is a product made by Africa for Africa.
Across the continent, it has become quite fashionable to say that we need to change the narrative; and those who say that are in fact absolutely right. But we must remember one thing. To do so will require many of us to put our money where our mouth is. Without this, one can call it mere wishful thinking. Four years ago when the first GESS of Dubai conference held here in Lagos (the first and still the only GESS Conference in Africa) the sponsors comprised mainly of foreign corporations. At the just concluded 2023 edition, the first since the debut event in 2019, only one of the sponsors of 4 years ago remains a sponsor. Wowbii Interactive. A wholly Nigerian company. They have, for all intents and purposes, put their money where their mouth is. This is where the journey to change the narrative of any nation must start from. Home. It must be initiated by the bold, who take the plunge to invest in their nation. In their country’s tomorrow. To change how others see us must begin with how we see ourselves. Like it’s motto says, Wowbii is neither just a name, nor just an exclamation. It’s a new standard.
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EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.