Nigeria - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

QuickCredentia is an EdTech startup that aims to facilitate the processing and transfer of academic transcripts in Nigeria – digitally – through the use of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

QuickCredentia, incorporated on the 26th of October 2023, is an upcoming EdTech startup that will streamline the processing, transfer, and receipt of academic transcripts in Nigeria. QuickCredentia will have a website and mobile application that will enable students and graduates to conveniently order and receive their academic transcripts from their respective universities in record time. It will also have a digital software archive for partner institutions to digitally store their academic records, which will enable the process of easy transfer to their student body. QuickCredentia will employ the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate transcripts – identifying information and categorizing transcripts based on institutional requirements – and blockchain technology to securely record and verify documents. Additionally, QuickCredentia will use a secure electronic document transfer protocol, which will offer safe and prompt delivery of transcripts using end-to-end encryption.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Nigeria has about 170 universities but only about 20-30% of them have digitized their academic and administrative records according to a June 2015 article by Business Day Newspaper, Nigeria. This singular issue leads to a web of frustrations, delays and bureaucratic processes in the issuance of transcripts by Nigerian universities. QuickCredentia aims to solve this problem through a mobile application and website platform for institutions to store and easily share academic records with their students, and for the students to conveniently order and receive their academic credentials. This will streamline the whole process, obliterating unnecessary bottlenecks in the system.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

Following the design framework for QuickCredentia – which will include a user-friendly website and mobile application platform that will employ the use of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology in the inner groundwork, and independent data archives (in the form of a software application) for the storage of academic records of institutions that partner with QuickCredentia – this will ensure that students and graduates obtain their academic transcripts in an easy and timely manner, ensuring that they meet up with timelines for jobs, scholarships and educational opportunities. Also, institutions will gain streamlined and improved efficiency, obliterating unnecessary bottlenecks in their administrative systems. On a larger scale, this will ensure better transparency in the Nigerian education system through a simplified and non-bureaucratic process. Then, I will work on broadening QuickCredentia’s reach to accommodate as many educational institutions in Nigeria as possible.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

QuickCredentia will ensure that students and graduates obtain their academic transcripts in an easy and timely manner, ensuring that they meet up with timelines for jobs, scholarships and educational opportunities. Also, institutions will gain streamlined and improved efficiency, obliterating unnecessary bottlenecks in their administrative systems. On a larger scale, this will ensure better transparency in the Nigerian education system through a simplified and non-bureaucratic process. Then, I will work on broadening QuickCredentia’s reach to accommodate as many educational institutions in Nigeria as possible, partnering with government educational bodies to proponent for the adoption of electronic transcript processing across Nigeria.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2023-08-07

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

0

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

2

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

Onyedikachi Victor Nwachukwu - Electrical Engineer/Data Analyst Blessing Ijeoma Nwachukwu - Mass Communications/Social Media Manager & Graphic Designer Chisom Ozioma Nwachukwu - Computer Engineer/Mobile App Developer Chioma Goodness Nwachukwu - 3D Animator & Video Editor

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

i) Communication services (telecommunications, media, interactive services)

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

4

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

3

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

QuickCredentia aims to streamline the processing, transfer and receipt of academic transcripts in Nigeria, providing convenience and a simplified transcript processing system absent of bureaucratic methods. This is to ensure that we address the failures and difficulties in obtaining academic transcripts in Nigeria. Our main goal is to promote educational mobility and accessibility through technology, thereby enabling youths to find better educational opportunities in their respective fields. All in all, this will contribute to the improvement in the quality of education in Nigeria, which is in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (4) of Quality Education. Additionally, QuickCredentia will provide opportunities in tech for skilled individuals in the technology space. Through entrepreneurship, QuickCredentia will help improve Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

QuickCredentia will provide opportunities in tech for skilled individuals in the technology space. Through entrepreneurship, QuickCredentia will help improve Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

The impact of QuickCredentia will be evidenced by a faster processing time for academic transcripts, which will be measured by comparing it with the time it takes to process manually. Also, testimonials from users based on their satisfaction rate will be another indicator, whereby more positive reviews will confirm success. Finally, better efficiency and lesser costs in school administrative systems will show advantageous economic benefits.

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

3

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

4

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

6

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

QuickCredentia aims to digitize academic transcript processing in Nigeria. Through this, academic mobility will be improved and institutions can reduce the need to transport hard-copy documents, ultimately decreasing carbon emissions by vehicles.

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

4

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

5

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

3

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

3

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

6

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

2

05.08 Justification

In Nigeria, there are only two companies that address the issue of transcript processing – Electronic Transcript and Verification Exchange, Nigeria (ETX-NG) and iTranscript – yet the problem of transcript failure and delays continues to thrive. This is due to the low ratings and high unsatisfactory reviews of the platforms. However, this presents a large market gap and strong advantage for QuickCredentia to fill in. Through the use of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology to evaluate and verify transcripts – and a digital archive for transcript storage and verification by institutions, QuickCredentia will gain a competitive advantage to dominate the electronic transcript marketspace.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

Firstly, QuickCredentia will employ the use of advanced technology like artificial intelligence to evaluate transcripts – identifying information and categorizing transcripts based on institutional requirements – and blockchain technology to securely record and verify documents. Secondly, QuickCredentia will have a mobile application that will enable users to create a profile based on their academic achievements, receive their academic documents in-app for downloading anytime, and track their requests real-time. Finally, QuickCredentia’s app and website platform will have a social forum for users to ask questions, find educational and employment opportunities and information, and gain exclusive discounts in processing international transcripts from credential evaluation agencies like World Education Services (WES). These three things will help QuickCredentia stand out from its direct competitors – Electronic Transcript and Verification Exchange, Nigeria (ETX-NG) and iTranscript.

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

I applied for the 2024 Aurora Tech Awards for Women Tech Founders, which is a yearly international prize for female techpreneurs. Through this, I received an invite to join the network of Nigerians on LinkedIn, where I have met several amazing and enthusiastic women founders who are equally passionate about bringing solutions to social issues in Nigeria through technology. I am also a beneficiary of programs like the Advancing Gender Equality and Women Empowerment - Entrepreneurship & Financial Literacy Program, sponsored by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP Africa), and the Canadian government. The program is aimed at bridging the gender disparity in entrepreneurship through courses for women in design thinking, risk management, financial management, etc. Through this programs, I have also connected and joined forces with fellow enthusiastic women who are passionate about making a difference in Nigeria.