Facebook Launches Sabi: Educational App for Nigerian Learners

Facebook Launches Sabee: An Educational App from its Lagos Office

Last autumn, Facebook revealed plans to establish an office in Lagos, Nigeria. This location was intended to serve as a regional center for the company and represent its first engineering-focused office on the African continent.

Recently, the first product originating from this new office has been identified: Sabee, a mobile application designed to enhance educational access. The app, whose name translates to “to know” in Nigerian Pidgin, aims to foster connections between students and teachers within online learning communities.

Developed by Facebook’s NPE Team

The application was initially released on Google Play by the “NPE Team,” Facebook’s internal research and development division. This team typically concentrates on pioneering new social experiences in areas such as dating, audio, music, video, and messaging.

While insights gained from the NPE Team’s applications often contribute to broader Facebook initiatives, no app has yet transitioned into a fully independent Facebook product.

Several earlier projects from this team have been discontinued, including the online zine platform Eg.g, the video app Hobbi, the calling app CatchUp, the friend-finding app Bump, the podcast community app Venue, and others.

A Shift in Focus for the NPE Team

However, Sabee signifies a departure for the NPE Team, as it doesn’t represent another social experiment. Instead, it aligns with Facebook’s broader strategy of increasing its focus on the African continent, beginning with Nigeria.

This strategic direction is based on projections indicating that by 2030, a significant majority of the global population will reside in urban areas, with a substantial portion located in Africa and the Middle East.

Furthermore, Africa’s population is anticipated to triple by 2100, with Nigeria potentially becoming the world’s second most populous nation, surpassed only by China.

Addressing Connectivity Challenges

To improve internet access in these regions, Facebook collaborated with telecommunications companies on the 2Africa project. This initiative involves a subsea cable designed to connect the over one billion individuals in Africa and the Middle East who remain offline.

These investments are not solely philanthropic; Facebook recognizes that its future growth will be driven by these emerging demographics.

Early Testing and Future Plans

Facebook confirmed the development of Sabee to TechCrunch after its discovery, clarifying that it remains a limited test at this stage.

“Nigeria has 50 million learners, yet only 2 million educators,” stated Emeka Okafor, Facebook Product Lead. “Through this initial, small-scale test, we aim to determine how we can assist educators in creating communities that make education universally accessible. We are eager to learn from our early testers and determine the next steps.”

Focus on Equity and Accessibility

The significant gap between learners and educators in Nigeria disproportionately affects women and girls, a key consideration for Sabee and the NPE Team’s overall regional efforts.

The company is also dedicated to serving communities often marginalized by technology. To this end, Sabee is being developed to function effectively even with limited connectivity, such as 2G networks.

Currently, the app is undergoing early alpha testing with fewer than 100 participants who are bound by non-disclosure agreements with Facebook.

It is not currently available to the public, but the company intends to expand testing before the year’s end.

A waitlist for Sabee is not available, and the application was briefly available on Google Play before being removed. Sensor Tower confirmed it did not achieve any ranking on app store charts during its limited availability.

While the terms “sabee” and “sabi/sabis” may have alternative meanings in other languages, as noted by Urban Dictionary, the team has no current plans to alter the name, as it resonates within the Nigerian market.