The gala brought together more than 350 guests, including the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who delivered the keynote address, alongside Ministers, Governors, Ambassadors, and senior representatives from the private and development sectors.

With strong support from SHOM and the diplomatic community, the evening underscored a shared belief in the power of creativity in transforming education in a way that is inclusive, accessible, and rooted in local realities.

Funds raised will help Five Cowries expand its impact across Nigeria, building on its track record of reaching over 250,000 learners through initiatives such as Mu Shuka Iri, Zinariya, and the Aunties Programme.

In her address, the First Lady highlighted the alignment between Five Cowries’ community-driven model and Nigeria’s national development priorities under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

She said:

“By supporting the Five Cowries initiative, we are reiterating our commitment to promoting education and fostering inclusive development across our local communities, dignity, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda and our shared commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Polly Alakija, Five Cowries CEO, expressed gratitude for the support shown by SHOM, the First Lady, and all event partners: 

“We are honoured by SHOM’s commitment and deeply grateful for Her Excellency’s recognition of our work. This evening is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when global and local actors come together to drive inclusive education, creativity, and restore agency to communities. With this support, we are better placed to deepen our impact and expand to more Local Government Areas across Nigeria.”

The SHOM Charity Gala 2025 served as a powerful platform for cross-cultural partnership and reaffirmed the role of arts-based education in delivering inclusive, community-driven solutions to improving learning outcomes in Nigeria.

The vision sets out Five Cowries’ ambition to scale up its work to harness the power of arts and culture to enhance learning for children and young adults in Nigeria. 

The vision seeks to build on the success of Five Cowries existing programmes, which have already delivered results in Kano, Kaduna, Ogun, Oyo and Lagos States.

The vision will be delivered through a six-year strategic plan that sets out the actions, and resources required to scale the more inclusive learning pathways that Five Cowries offers by integrating arts and culture into educational experiences to improve learning outcomes. One of the driving theories behind the initiative is that community driven creative learning sustainably develops community resilience.

Ambassador Juan Sell of Spain, who hosted the reception said about the launch, “We are committed to projects that leverage the arts to offer inclusive pathways to education that are responsive to individual learning, social and cultural needs. We are pleased to be able to host the launch of this initiative and wish the Five Cowries team well as they work to broaden their impact over the coming years.”

Since inception, Five Cowries has delivered projects in Kano via its flagship program Mu Shuka Iri (MSI), a community-based learning programme that engages caregivers and children, aged 4 to early teens, in households through a cohort of community educators called ‘Aunties’.

For the first programme – The Children’s Programme (MSI), the 2030 Vision sets out plans to roll out the programme to 19 states by 2030, starting with Kaduna, Kano, Adamawa, and Sokoto, scheduled for 2024 delivery.

FCI’s ambition is to grow the networks of hubs and schools involved in the programme, allowing the project to empower more aunties across our focus States.

The second, Young People’s Programme themed, My Story: My Heritage will provide young people soft skills needed to survive the 21^st century workplace.

Speaking about the vision, Mr. Olumide Adeosun, the Chair of Five Cowries, said, “these programmes offer a route to education that improves school attendance and significantly improves numeracy and literacy outcomes whilst ensuring that no child in the community is left behind.  The Board of Trustees are excited about the planned rollout of this innovative and impactful programme. We are counting on our donors, particularly through these lean times to deliver these programmes to communities that need them the most.”

Polly Alakija, Founder/CEO, Five Cowries says, “These programmes have a proven positive impact on educational outcomes, such as improved numeracy and literacy, as well as transferable skills such as communication, problem-solving and creativity and are fun!” FCI’s goal, she continued, is to, “drive equitable empowerment in underserved communities”.