A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. In our case, it started with a stubborn idea. In July 2014, a few young men and women with very little more than a passion for excellence and the conviction that it was not enough to simply complain about the ills in our society, made a decision to do something about the situation of education in Nigeria.A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. In our case, it started with a stubborn idea. In July 2014, a few young men and women with very little more than a passion for excellence and the conviction that it was not enough to simply complain about the ills in our society, made a decision to do something about the situation of education in Nigeria.

That decision led them to consider our challenging reality and some opportunities hidden in that reality:

• Nigeria’s vast territory and her difficulties in adequately providing for everyone and for every community especially in locations distant from centres of government;
• how challenges of weak governance structures, unresponsive policies, rigid administrative processes and outmoded curricula and teaching methods can be overcome in expanding access to education;
• how opportunities, capacities and resources can be leveraged and channeled to reach areas of substantial need;
• how significant outcomes can be created and interconnected to scale up social impact; and
• an appropriate vehicle that would enable these things to be done.

A balanced assessment of the situation involves considering not only what is taught in schools and how it is taught but examining the entire ecosystem of education, including education outside the formal schools sector.

Notwithstanding the challenges, education and interventions related to the education sector remain the highest point of contribution that will yield maximum impact in society. Focused and sustained commitment to development of the education sector will have far-reaching impact in improving our reality in Nigeria. It is quite simple: Education = Development. Promoting education and expanding access to education at all levels is a direct and assured way to invest in the people and in the future of a nation.

We are convinced that committed, responsive and responsible investments in education will have a ripple effect on development in all other sectors including the civil service, private sector, industry, health, security, justice, agriculture, science and technology, oil and gas, banking, telecoms, trade and commerce, ICT, entrepreneurship, entertainment, infrastructure, quality of governance and nation building.

The impact of education is felt in different areas in a person’s life: improved economic well-being, livelihood, aspirations, family life, health, civic/cultural engagement, etc. Education helps us to communicate effectively and to understand the world around us better. It allows us to identify, interpret, and create or recreate our own reality.

Given the situation of education in Nigeria and in many countries in Africa, it will take a combination of improved teaching and learning tools (online and offline), creative engagement of the human element, improved physical environment or infrastructure, and enabling policies and regulations to change the situation. We therefore seek to address the gaps in a comprehensive way and on a national scale.

While our outlook and approach to expanding access to education is comprehensive, it is important to start with a focused strategy on key areas of intervention which have enormous potential for impact and scalability, and then build on other things around them with time as resources and capacities are enhanced.

Educational Trust Foundation for Sustainable Development (EduTrust) was born as the vehicle that will translate our vision and our mission into reality. EduTrust is a social enterprise focused on expanding access to education for students, communities and populations that are underserved and unserved by the formal schools sector in Nigeria.

Today, EduTrust is no longer just a story of a few young men and women. At EduTrust, everyone is a changemaker. We invite you to be part of the change.