WEST Midlands Open University (WMOU) is Nigeria's first private virtual institution to "go live", part of a wave of openings that is sweeping the continent. The country's National University Commission granted Lagos-based WMOU the green light to offer degree programs virtually. According to Adebayo Akande, the institution's founder, "WMOU will catalyse national development and global competitiveness by utilising sustainable technologies and high-quality programs to provide training and education." On a continent where smartphone adoption and affordable internet access is changing lives, education startups and institutions are capitalising on these advancements in communications to bring tertiary education to both urban and…