Tony Elumelu awardee floats digital library

A Nigerian software development firm known as e86 has launched its flagship product, Panacea e-library.

The organisation is owned by one of the awardees of the 2016 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP).

In a statement released by its management, e86 said the dearth of facilities, outdated curriculum and lack of instructional materials have posed as challenges for learners in developing nations.

It said the idea of an e-library was birthed in October 2016, in a bid to make learning and research materials more accessible to students and lifelong learners in developing countries.

“In March 2016, the project became one of the 1,000 business ideas from over 45, 000 entries from all over Africa, picked by Accenture for the TEEP 2016,” the statement read.

“As much as privileged students have leveraged on the internet to bridge that gap, we still have the issues of relevance, accessibility and affordability to grapple with.

“Learners often have to sieve through a huge pile of materials or cough up a small fortune to get what they need. And even when they eventually do, adapting it to the local context presents another challenge.

“It is this dilemma that Panacea e-library aims to solve.

“Through a web app and mobile app that provides access to a wide range of books, journals and other materials, e86 limited seeks to democratise access to quality learning resources.”

Philip Amiola, co-founder and chief operating officer, explained that the product which has been in the works for more than 15 months is like Uber for books. with the added benefits of knowledge sharing/real life collaboration with other scholars, book lovers and life-long learners without the limitations of time and space.

“The benefits of knowledge sharing/real life collaboration with other scholars, book lovers and life-long learners without the limitations of time and space,” he said.

“By sharing instead of owning we can enjoy lower costs, instant access and flexibility while maximising under-utilised assets and reducing the burden on our planet. Everyone can use what they need without having to own it.”

Among other interesting features, Panacea e-library combines the flexibility of e-learning with the immersive experience of creating book clubs and connecting with study mates based on location and interests.

Readers and content providers can create free accounts at www.panacea.ng.