The Bunmi Adedayo Foundation, a Nigerian non-profit organisation focused on public education reform, on May 6 marked its 10th anniversary with a landmark Education Futures Conference held at Shell Hall, Muson Centre, Lagos.
Under the theme, “Building Nigeria’s Education Future: One Teacher, One School, One Child at a Time,” the event convened educators, policymakers, development partners, and private-sector leaders to reflect on a decade of measurable impact and chart an ambitious course for the decade ahead.
Since its establishment in January 2016 in honour of Oluwabunmi Omotayo Adedayo, the BAF has reached more than 550,000 learners, empowered over 7,800 teachers and supported more than 1,300 public primary schools across Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Rivers states.
Its interventions span teacher capacity development, school infrastructure renovation, digital learning through ICT hubs, and direct pupil support through scholarships and learning materials.
At the conference, Odedeyi Oluwakemi, executive director, Bunmi Adedayo Foundation, unveiled the Foundation’s next-decade strategy, anchored on six priorities: training 10,000 additional teachers and 500 school leaders; reaching at least 1 million more learners through accelerated foundational literacy and numeracy programmes; expanding digital learning access to 25,000 teachers; embedding education reforms into government policy; amplifying BAF’s national advocacy voice; and raising more than N1 billion in diversified funding to sustain and 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 spotlighted Nigeria’s deepening education crisis. An estimated 10.5 million primary school-age children, representing 25 per cent of that population, are currently out of school, a figure that rises to more than 20 million when secondary school-age youth are included.
Among Nigerian children aged 7 to 14, 73 per cent lack basic reading skills, while 75 per cent lack basic numeracy skills. Only 44 per cent of primary school teachers hold the required qualifications, while teacher absenteeism in public schools averages 24 per cent.
Professor Oluwole Ayoola Atoyebi, chairman of the Foundation’s Executive Council, commended the Foundation’s decade of progress while acknowledging 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’s programmes are delivered through an integrated model combining teacher development, school infrastructure renovation and digital learning.
The Foundation’s train-the-trainer approach, implemented through initiatives such as the Continuous In-Service Training Programme (CISTPST) and the Subject Enhancement Programme (SEP-M), has enabled its impact to cascade across schools and communities.
Its two ICT centres in Surulere and Ketu have equipped more than 11,000 students with hands-on digital learning skills.
The Foundation’s school transformation projects, including the full renovation of Yaba Model Nursery & Primary School and Nathan Nursery & Primary School, have been made possible through partnerships with organisations including Tastee Fried Chicken, the Adepoju Foundation and Phoenix Global Foundation.
BAF invited government agencies, development organisations, private-sector partners and individuals to support its next chapter through partnerships, funding and policy collaboration.
