When Mustapha Aminu began Primary 6 at Daura Model Primary School in Katsina State, the prospect of attending university seemed almost impossible. His family had limited resources, and the challenge of paying school fees and providing learning materials was a struggle. Then came a turning point: Mustapha was selected as one of ten pupils in his school to benefit from the Oando Foundation scholarship programme, a commitment that promised support through to university if he continued to excel.

For Mustapha, the scholarship offered more than financial assistance. It provided stability, motivation, and the confidence to pursue his dreams. Today, at 25, he is a Civil Engineering graduate of Bayero University Kano, a young man whose educational journey was transformed through sustained support.   Mustapha’s story is just one of many. To date, Oando Foundation has awarded 1,164 scholarships, supporting talented young Nigerians to further their education, pursue their dreams, and build better lives for themselves and their communities.

Education journeys like Mustapha’s

While Mustapha’s journey is inspiring, it also reflects a broader reality of education in Nigeria.  Across the country, millions of children and young people still face barriers to quality learning — from inadequate infrastructure and teacher shortages to outdated teaching methods and limited access to digital tools. Education today is no longer just a social service; it is a national competitiveness issue, a workforce imperative, and a critical driver of long-term economic resilience.

According to the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report 2024, an estimated 251 million children and youth worldwide remain out-of-school. Regional disparities remain stark: 33% of school-aged children and youth in low-income countries are out of school, compared to only 3% in high-income countries. More than half of the world’s out-of-school children and adolescents live in sub-Saharan Africa.  In Nigeria, where nearly half of the population is under 18, approximately 18.3 million children are out of school—a glaring indicator of the systemic barriers that hinder access to education in regions with vast human potential. Even among those who enrolled, learning outcomes remain inconsistent, with significant gaps in literacy, numeracy, and digital skills. These gaps have significant consequences. Without strong foundational skills, young people struggle to transition to higher education or gainful employment. As the global economy becomes increasingly knowledge- and innovation-driven, bridging this learning divide is essential to Nigeria’s future.

Oando Foundation’s approach to education

As Nigeria marks International Day of Education 2026, this year’s theme — “The power of youth in co‑creating education” — highlights the critical role young people play not only as learners but as active partners shaping education systems, policies, and practices. The message is clear: young Nigerians must be empowered to help design and transform learning environments that are more inclusive, relevant, and responsive to their aspirations.

Recognising this, Oando Foundation has positioned young learners at the centre of its education interventions. Established in 2011, the Foundation was created with a clear mandate: to support Nigeria’s socio-economic development through education. Over the years, it has focused its efforts on strengthening basic education systems, improving learning outcomes, and equipping young Nigerians with the skills required to participate meaningfully in a modern economy. Its programmes have reached thousands of beneficiaries across multiple states, particularly in underserved and hard-to-reach communities, ensuring that young people are empowered to contribute to their own learning journeys and communities.

The Foundation’s current LEARNOVATE strategy focuses on prioritizing innovation and investments in foundational learning to create better life opportunities for children and youth through equitable, quality, and climate-sensitive education. The strategy is focused on strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education, building green skills, and improving overall learning outcomes, while encouraging young people to actively co-create their educational experiences.

Translating strategy into impact

Through targeted interventions under the LEARNOVATE strategy, Oando Foundation has implemented several flagship programmes that strengthen foundational learning and empower young people with future-ready skills. Among them are:

• LEARNOVATE-FLIP (Foundational Learning Improvement Programme): Recognising the urgent need to improve foundational literacy and numeracy, Oando Foundation launched LEARNOVATE-FLIP across multiple states. The initiative integrates evidence-based approaches — including Early Grade Reading (EGR) for Primary 1–3 pupils and Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) for Primary 4–6 pupils, to promote inclusive and equitable quality education. By the 2024/2025 academic year, the pilot had reached 80 public primary schools across Adamawa, Ebonyi, Plateau, and Sokoto States. Key outcomes include the enrolment of 5,162 out-of-school children, specialised instructional training for 416 teachers and headteachers, and the distribution of 40,862 teaching and learning materials. This programme has recorded significant learning gains, with literacy proficiency improving by over 40% and numeracy by 35%.

• Green Youth Upskilling Programme (GYUP):  In 2025, the Foundation launched GYUP to equip the first cohort of 25 young Nigerians with practical, future-ready skills aligned with the growing green economy. The programme was designed to bridge the gap between education and employability by providing targeted technical training, mentorship, and exposure to emerging sectors such as renewable energy, climate and sustainable management. As a key outcome, 10 climate-smart seed grants will be awarded to the best-performing trainees, providing both funding and toolkits to kick-start their enterprises in renewable energy, climate solutions, and sustainable waste management. By fostering green entrepreneurship and job creation, GYUP empowers young people while advancing national sustainability goals and contributes to Nigeria’s environmental and economic resilience.

Looking ahead

As Nigeria confronts the realities of a rapidly evolving global economy, deliberate investment in education and human capital is no longer optional — it is foundational to sustainable growth, competitiveness, and social stability. The experiences of beneficiaries like Mustapha, alongside the measurable outcomes of Oando Foundation’s interventions, underscore a simple truth: when education systems are strengthened, youth are empowered, and learning is aligned with future workforce needs, the returns extend far beyond individual success stories to national development.

On this International Day of Education 2026, Oando Foundation’s work demonstrates what is possible when innovation, evidence-based practice, and youth-centred design converge. Through continued collaboration with government, communities, development partners, and the private sector, the Foundation remains committed to scaling impact, influencing policy, and contributing to an education system that equips Nigeria’s young population not just to participate in the future, but to actively shape it.