By Peace Udugba
The Bunmi Adedayo Foundation (BAF), a Nigerian non-profit organisation focused on public education reform, has unveiled a ₦1 billion expansion plan aimed at reaching an additional one million learners across Nigeria.
The announcement was made during the Foundation’s 10th anniversary and Education Futures Conference held on May 6 at the Shell Hall, MUSON Centre, Lagos, under the theme “Building Nigeria’s Education Future: One Teacher, One School, One Child at a Time.” The event brought together educators, policymakers, development partners and private-sector stakeholders to review a decade of impact and outline future priorities.
Since its establishment in January 2016 in honour of Oluwabunmi Omotayo Adedayo, the Foundation has reached more than 550,000 learners, trained over 7,800 teachers, and supported more than 1,300 public primary schools across Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Rivers States. Its interventions include teacher capacity development, school infrastructure upgrades, digital learning through ICT hubs, and scholarship support for pupils.
Presenting the Foundation’s next-phase strategy, Executive Director Odedeyi Oluwakemi outlined six key priorities, including training 10,000 additional teachers and 500 school leaders, expanding digital learning access to 25,000 teachers, and reaching at least one million more learners through accelerated foundational literacy and numeracy programmes. Others include strengthening education policy influence, expanding national advocacy, and mobilising over ₦1 billion in diversified funding to scale operations.
“What began as a response to a critical gap has evolved into a movement of measurable impact,” Oluwakemi said. “The first 10 years have proven what is possible. The next 10 years will define what is transformational.”
The conference also highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing education challenges. An estimated 10.5 million primary school-age children are currently out of school, while the figure exceeds 20 million when secondary school-age youth are included. Among children aged 7 to 14, about 73 per cent lack basic reading skills and 75 per cent lack basic numeracy skills. Only 44 per cent of primary school teachers are formally qualified, and teacher absenteeism in public schools averages 24 per cent.
Chairman of the Foundation’s Executive Council, Professor Oluwole Ayoola Atoyebi, commended the organisation’s achievements while stressing the scale of the challenge ahead.
“Many children still lack access to quality foundational learning, and many educators require continuous support to deliver effectively,” he said. “Education is not merely a social good; it is a strategic investment in the future of our nation.”
BAF said its integrated approach—combining teacher training, school renovation, and digital learning—has been central to its impact. Through programmes such as the Continuous In-Service Training Programme and Subject Enhancement Programme, the Foundation has deployed a train-the-trainer model to scale learning across schools and communities.
Its ICT centres in Surulere and Ketu have also provided hands-on digital skills training to more than 11,000 students. In addition, school transformation projects, including the renovation of Yaba Model Nursery & Primary School and Nathan Nursery & Primary School, have been supported through partnerships with organisations such as Tastee Fried Chicken, the Adepoju Foundation, and Phoenix Global Foundation.
The Foundation called on government agencies, development partners, private-sector actors and individuals to support its next phase through funding, collaboration and policy engagement.
