When Mustapha Aminu started 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 from his school to benefit from the Ondo Foundation Scholarship Programme, a commitment that promised support through university if he continued to excel.
For Mustafa, the scholarship offered much more than financial aid. It provided stability, motivation and confidence to pursue their dreams. Today, at the age of 25, he is a Civil Engineering graduate from Bayero University Kano, a young man whose educational journey was transformed through continuous support. Mustafa's story is one of many. To date, Ondo Foundation has awarded 1,164 scholarships to assist talented young Nigerians to further their education, pursue their dreams and build better lives for themselves and their communities.
Education Tours Like Mustafa
While Mustapha's journey is inspiring, it also reflects the broader reality of education in Nigeria. Across the country, millions of children and youth still face barriers to quality education – from inadequate infrastructure and shortage of teachers to outdated teaching methods and limited access to digital tools. Today education is no longer just a social service; It is a national competitiveness issue, a workforce imperative and an important driver of long-term economic resilience.
According to the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report 2024, an estimated 251 million children and youth are out of school worldwide. Regional disparities remain severe: 33% of school-going children and youth are out of school in low-income countries, 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 almost half the population is under 18, approximately 18.3 million children are out of school – a clear indicator of the systemic barriers that hinder access to education in areas with huge human potential. Even among those who enroll, learning outcomes remain inconsistent, with significant gaps in literacy, numeracy and digital skills. These gaps have important 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 gap is essential for Nigeria's future.
Ondo Foundation's approach to education
As Nigeria celebrates the International Day of Education 2026, this year’s theme – “The Power of Youth in Co-Creating Education” – highlights the important role played by young people not only as learners but also as active participants in 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.
Recognizing this, Ondo Foundation has placed young learners at the center of its education interventions. Established in 2011, the Foundation was created with a clear mandate: to support the socio-economic development of Nigeria 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 they need to participate meaningfully in the modern economy. Its programs have reached thousands of beneficiaries across multiple states, especially in underprivileged and hard-to-reach communities, ensuring young people are empowered to pursue their learning journeys and contribute to their communities.
The Foundation's current Learnovate strategy focuses on prioritizing innovation and investment in foundational education to create better life opportunities for children and youth through equitable, quality and climate-sensitive education. The strategy focuses 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.
turning strategy into impact
Through targeted interventions under the LEARNOVATE strategy, Ondo Foundation has implemented a number of key programs that strengthen foundational education and empower youth with future-ready skills. Among them are:
Learnovate-Flip (Foundational Learning Improvement Program): Recognizing the urgent need to improve foundational literacy and numeracy, Ondo Foundation launched LEARNOVATE-FLIP in several 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 in Adamawa, Ebonyi, Plateau and Sokoto states. Key outcomes include enrollment of 5,162 out-of-school children, special instructional training for 416 teachers and headmasters and distribution of 40,862 teaching and learning materials. The program has recorded significant gains in learning, with literacy proficiency improving by more than 40% and numeracy improving by 35%.
Green Youth Upskilling Program (GYUP): In 2025, the Foundation launches GYUP to equip the first cohort of 25 young Nigerians with practical, future-ready skills to support a growing green economy. The program was designed to bridge the gap between education and employment by providing targeted technical training, mentorship and exposure to emerging sectors such as renewable energy, climate and sustainable management. As a key outcome, the best performing trainees will be awarded 10 climate-smart seed grants, providing both funding and toolkits to launch their ventures in renewable energy, climate solutions and sustainable waste management. By promoting green entrepreneurship and job creation, GYUP empowers youth and contributes to Nigeria's environmental and economic resilience while advancing national sustainability goals.
looking ahead
As Nigeria faces the realities of a rapidly evolving global economy, deliberate investment in education and human capital is no longer optional – it is fundamental to sustainable growth, competitiveness and social stability. The experiences of beneficiaries like Mustapha, combined with the measurable results of Ondo 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 go far beyond individual success stories to national development.
This International Education Day 2026, Ondo Foundation's work demonstrates what is possible when innovation, evidence-based practice and youth-centred design come together. Through sustained collaboration with government, communities, development partners and the private sector, the Foundation is committed to enhancing impact, influencing policy and contributing to an education system that will prepare Nigeria's youth population not only to participate in the future, but also to actively shape it.
