In a world where academic excellence often overshadows personal development, Morayo Ojikutu is rewriting the script. She is the founder of Flow, an education startup redefining how children across Africa learn about themselves and the world. Through innovative social-emotional learning (SEL) tools and digital curricula, Flow is helping schools nurture self-awareness, empathy, resilience, and confidence skills that shape not just smart students, but grounded, emotionally intelligent leaders.
From Finance to Education: A Journey of Purpose
Morayo’s path to education did not begin in the classroom. She studied Finance and built a career in investment banking, excelling in numbers something that came naturally to her from childhood.
She shared that she grew up as a special needs child, and mathematics became her safe space because it required little reading. Later in her career, despite performing well professionally, Morayo felt deeply unfulfilled. She began questioning what meaningful success truly looked like.
This period of reflection sparked the birth of Flow, a platform designed to tackle a critical gap in African education — one that academic subjects alone cannot fill.
The Gap in Africa’s Education System
According to Morayo, African education still relies heavily on grading students based only on Maths and English, ignoring the emotional and social skills that prepare them for real-world challenges.
“There is a massive gap between what schools teach and what the world actually needs,” she explained.
IM Flow is closing that gap by focusing on the whole child — building their sense of identity, emotional intelligence, and ability to navigate life with confidence.
How Flow Builds Emotional Intelligence
IM Flow’s curriculum is intentionally designed as an experience children remember and apply throughout life.
For example, when teaching self-awareness, the concept is broken down into simple, relatable activities that encourage children to understand and express their thoughts, feelings, and strengths.
The goal is not just to teach but to transform how children see themselves and relate to others.
Impact Across Schools in Nigeria
Flow’s influence is rapidly growing. The program currently runs in about 40 schools, reaching over 12,000 children.
Parents say IM Flow has helped them understand their children better. Teachers also report that students communicate more clearly, express emotions more confidently, and show improved behavior both inside and outside the classroom.
Challenges of Introducing SEL in Africa
Introducing SEL in African schools has not been easy. When Morayo launched IM Flow in 2020 — during the pandemic — the concept was new and unfamiliar.
The main challenges she faced were:
- Schools questioning if SEL is necessary
- Difficulty integrating SEL into already packed school schedules
- Determining who would pay for the service
- Low passion among some educators
Despite these obstacles, Morayo persisted, fueled by the impact she knew IM Flow could create.
Navigating Resistance from Parents and Schools
When faced with resistance, Morayo’s approach is simple: don’t force — demonstrate impact.
She focuses her energy where she is welcomed, creates visible transformation, and then returns to previously hesitant parents or schools.
This strategy has helped convert many skeptics into believers.
Scaling an African Education Startup
Scaling IM Flow has taught Morayo a powerful lesson:
“Many people in the education space are not passionate about the work. It’s difficult to build impact with people who don’t care.”
She emphasizes the need for mission-driven teams, especially in education, where the work deeply influences children’s futures.
Partnership with Business Growth Initiative for StartUps
Morayo describes her experience with the Business Growth Initiative for StartUps (BGIS) as transformational.
Unlike other programs that dictate solutions, BGIS asked her:
“What do YOU need?”
Two major outcomes came from the partnership:
- Clarity of Messaging
IM Flow is complex to explain, but BGIS helped her simplify her pitch in a way everyone can understand. - AI Integration
IM Flow previously prepared report cards manually. Through BGIS, they integrated AI into the system — saving months of manual work and improving efficiency.
A Vision Beyond Nigeria
For Morayo, Flow is not just a Nigerian solution — it’s an African one.
She believes African children deserve learning tools that reflect their cultural realities, not imported frameworks that don’t fit their context.
Her vision is clear:
IM Flow in every African country, empowering children to know themselves, understand others, and lead with emotional intelligence.
Conclusion
Morayo Ojikutu is proof that when passion meets purpose, innovation follows. Through Flow, she is shaping a future where African children are not only academically brilliant but emotionally grounded and confident — ready to lead communities, companies, and countries.
At Just4WomenAfrica, we proudly celebrate her as one of the women building the future of African education.
