The EduTrust Team

A dedicated group of professionals committed to transforming education through innovation, expertise, and strategic collaboration. With a shared vision of fostering academic excellence, the team brings together educators, administrators, and specialists who are passionate about shaping the future of learning.

foundation

Bringing Innovation to EduTrust

We start the journey towards success

Okey Uzoechina

Founder, EduTrust Foundation

A lawyer and Master’s degree holder in Conflict, Security and Development from King’s College London.

Okey Uzoechina

Founder, EduTrust Foundation

Re-envisioning the Nigerian Society

Every desired change starts with a vision. Throughout history, every nation which has made great strides in development has been driven by a compelling vision of greatness and consistent action towards realizing that vision.

My name is Okey Uzoechina. I am a writer, teacher, lawyer, entrepreneur, and diplomat. I have worked for over 10 years in the development sector at the multi-country level in West Africa.

I have a stubborn belief that exponential growth is possible in every sector in Nigeria if we do things right and if we do the right things. Development is not try-your-luck. Visionary People Together in Action over Time create Exponential Growth: V x Px x A x T = EG ©

Bringing this home to Nigeria, the future we want will take a combination of a compelling vision, sincere and transparent leadership, people-centred policies, effective and consistent action, and time for organic growth. This is true for the education sector and for all sectors and can be applied at all levels of governance.

It’s possible! Nigeria is the sum of all of us. So each one of us must ask and answer one question: “What can I do or stop doing to make Nigeria great?” We have to get comfortable with discomfort and be ready and willing to adapt or disrupt what does not work for us.

At EduTrust Foundation, we make education our business because we realize that education is a catalyst for nation-building. EduTrust Foundation is more than just an organization. It is a movement.

Toyin Ajao (PhD)

Associate, EduTrust Foundation

Toyin Ajao (PhD)

Associate, EduTrust Foundation

Education = Human Capital Development

The greatest resource of a country is its people. In Nigeria, our generation has been made to believe that the greatest resource of our dear country is oil and gas and therefore the greatest Nigerians are those who partake in or control that industry. This has led to near-total neglect of foundational and productive sectors of our national economy.

I am Dr. Toyin Ajao, a global citizen, feminist-activist, social scientist scholar, and holistic storyteller. I have been part of the birthing of the EduTrust idea, and I believe in the limitless potential of youth and the creative genius of the NOW generation. EduTrust Foundation is not simply focused on building brick-and-mortar schools just to run them. We re-envision the entire education sector in Nigeria at multiple levels and on a national scale.

In addition, the objectives of EduTrust Foundation tie into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Nigerian National Vision. National development and sustainable development start with human capital development. Nigeria must invest in its people today to guarantee a greater tomorrow, and the most direct, connected, and impactful way to do that is to guarantee quality education at all levels.

We are convinced that accelerated development towards achieving SDGs 4 and 8, and towards achieving the broad objectives and aspirations of the Nigeria Vision, will be enhanced by supplementing and supporting the efforts of the government and other stakeholders in the education sector. We envision a holistic transformation in the way that education is disseminated and impacted; it goes beyond just securing a job, to a life of transformation for the self and the world.

Prof. Rev. Fr. Edwin Obimma Ezike, PhD, FCArb

Chairman Board of Trustees, EduTrust Foundation

Prof. Rev. Fr. Edwin Obimma Ezike, PhD, FCArb

Chairman Board of Trustees, EduTrust Foundation

Reforming Education in Nigeria

I am Professor Rev. Fr. Edwin Obimma Ezike, a seasoned teacher, Professor of Law, and a Catholic Priest. I have been a teacher at the University of Nigeria for nearly three decades. In addition to teaching thousands of students at various levels, I am well-versed in scientific research methods and I oversaw the computerization of the UNEC Faculty of Law, including the creation of a virtual library.

Over the years, I have witnessed significant improvements in the education sector. That’s a good thing. However, change in the education sector is not keeping up with change in many other sectors of our society. Driven by innovative thinking, results in many sectors, including ICT, banking and finance, manufacturing, and entertainment, are today unrecognizable from where they were 20 to 30 years ago. The story is different for the education sector in Nigeria.

For us to bridge the gap, keep up with changing times, and contribute to shaping the future, we have to do things differently and do different things for the sake of the younger and future generations of Nigeria. Importantly, education and educational tools and products should be accessible, affordable, relatable, and usable for all Nigerians. That is part of the mission of EduTrust Foundation.

Cynthia Ubadigbo

Cynthia Ubadigbo, Admin and Finance Intern, EduTrust Foundation

Cynthia Ubadigbo

Cynthia Ubadigbo, Admin and Finance Intern, EduTrust Foundation

Rethinking Education

My name is Cynthia Ubadigbo, and I am a proud, young Nigerian graduate. Now I understand better that education does not start and end with going to school and getting a certificate. It is a lifelong venture. Good education enables people to make the best decisions for their lives, to take their destiny into their own hands, and to contribute positively to society.

At EduTrust Foundation, we are convinced that committed, responsive, and responsible investments in education will have a ripple effect on development in all other sectors, starting from the family and expanding into the civil service, private sector, industry, health, security, and justice, as well as agriculture.

Education will also have a ripple effect on the environment, science and technology, oil and gas, banking, telecoms, trade and commerce, ICT, entrepreneurship, entertainment, infrastructure, community development, quality of governance, peacebuilding, and nation-building.

We realize that the link between quality education and sustainable livelihoods should be reworked and strengthened in order to address the bulge in unemployed school leavers and restive youths in Nigeria through job creation, entrepreneurship, and innovative use of local resources.

Marline Oluchi Okoh

Media and Communication Adviser, EduTrust Foundation

Marline Oluchi Okoh

Media and Communication Adviser, EduTrust Foundation

Our X-Factor

My name is Marline Oluchi Okoh (Spirit Divine), a Social Worker, Media and Communication Strategist, and passionate advocate for community development. I have supported various projects focused on reforming the education sector in Nigeria, and I have seen first-hand some things that worked well in the past but do not work so well for the present and will become dysfunctional for the future. Nigeria cannot afford to keep falling behind in the education sector. That would mean a reversal of development.

EduTrust Foundation is unique in the way we think about education reform in Nigeria and the way we approach the challenge.

Innovative

The teaching and learning environment of the 21st century is changing very fast. Most Nigerian students voluntarily spend more time on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and watching football games than they spend in the classroom or studying textbooks. Besides, the way the youth are socialized to learn today differs widely from the learning environment of the 1970s and 80s. Our education sector needs a major upgrade! EduTrust Foundation promotes teaching and learning tools and methods that are designed to transform education instead of resist human evolution.

Adaptive

At EduTrust, we seek to find out what works in which parts of the country and why. Consequently, we realize that what works in Anambra State may not work so well in Zamfara State and may even be counterproductive. This flexible approach enables us and our partners to adapt solutions to different contexts based on the needs of the people, schools, or communities.

Obiora Ubadigbo

Accountant / Financial Analyst, EduTrust Foundation

Obiora Ubadigbo

Accountant / Financial Analyst, EduTrust Foundation

My name is Obiora Ubadigbo

I am a Financial Analyst—I crunch numbers for fun, for value, and for impact. In many ways, numbers reflect reality, and I have used this insight to assist startups and businesses in Nigeria to fix challenges and enable growth and productivity.

At EduTrust Foundation, we integrate quantitative and qualitative methods, realistic and future-focused perspectives in making a difference in the education sector. We use realistic financial and econometric models which both project that Nigeria will reap exponential results if she invests a tiny fraction of the annual education budget at the federal and state levels in innovative approaches and tools.

The Knowledge Economy

Knowledge drives the new economy. EduTrust Foundation is knowledge-based and knowledge-driven. ICT is at the heart of this new economy. In Africa, we are mostly consumers of technology, not producers. Because we rely on others to produce the technology we use, we struggle with using technology that often does not work for us. Our youth need to tap into the trillion-dollar global virtual economy and not only participate in it but make it work for us.

Complementary Approach

Teaching and learning are two sides of the same coin. However, most interventions in the education sector in Nigeria focus on addressing gaps from the perspective of the student—such as providing scholarships—and do not sufficiently balance the needs of the teacher. Key success factors will include capacity building for educators and pooling together a critical mass of teachers with the right balance of knowledge, competence, and commitment.

Mutual Objectives

By combining the objectives of educational resources, sustainable development, national development, and job creation, our enterprise challenges the false assumption that solving social problems cannot be economically viable.

Ummita Abdullahi

Partnerships and Mobilization Officer, EduTrust Foundation

Ummita Abdullahi

Partnerships and Mobilization Officer, EduTrust Foundation

Democratization and National Reorientation

Let’s start from the basics. Twenty years ago, I had just started primary school and had big dreams of what I wanted to be in the future. However, twenty years of Nigeria’s return to democracy has failed to support the dreams of millions of Nigerians. Twenty years of investing trillions of Naira of our national resources in the education sector has yet to yield tangible democracy dividends.

My name is Ummita Abdullahi, an advocate for national development, social critic, grassroots mobilizer, and peacebuilding expert. I am passionate about good governance and development in Nigeria.

Nigerians are tired of the same-old-same-old and they want to know: When will we realize quality education of the people, by the people, and for the people? How will education improve lives and livelihoods and guarantee employment for teeming Nigerian youths? How does education contribute to national development? What specific role are the people to play to make this happen? Do the people understand their unique role in the bigger picture?

The starting point should be reorientation on the value of education and the duty of every Nigerian to contribute to national development. People want to see results. If the people do not believe that education pays in the long run, they will not be invested in education. If the people do not understand what to expect and how they can individually and collectively contribute to improving education in Nigeria, billion-naira education projects and initiatives will not make sense to them.

At EduTrust Foundation, we realize that the starting point for expanding access to quality education in Nigeria is sensitization, advocacy, and national reorientation on the values and promise of education. All hands must be on deck, and we must forge innovative partnerships that involve Nigerian citizens, national and state governments, school administrators at all levels, publishing houses and educational resource providers, the private sector, ICT firms, communities, NGOs, and development partners. It is time to change the game.

Samson Nnah

Web Dev, UI/UX Expert, EduTrust Foundation

Samson Nnah

Web Dev, UI/UX Expert, EduTrust Foundation

Impact of Information Technology on Education

The combination of education and technology has been considered the main key to human progress and advancement. Education feeds technology, which in turn forms the basis of education. It is therefore evident that information technology has affected changes in the methods, purpose, and perceived potential of education in general.

I am Samson Nnah. I enjoy the adventure of being a solution to IT problems, ranging from Graphic Design, User Experience (UX) Design, Branding, Web Development, Data Analytics, and IT Security Management. With over 18 years of experience in these fields, I am honored to invest my wealth of knowledge in the EduTrust Foundation.

Changes to Learning

Being able to access large databases of information fundamentally changes education, as learners can now be creators and collaborators in the access and construction of discourses of information. Due to their technological literacy, young people can derive cultural capital from their understanding of modern information technologies and thereby have input into educational change.

The same technology also facilitates the rapid exchange of information by researchers on specific topics, greatly increasing the speed of information distribution. The increased access to huge amounts of data means students need help selecting, evaluating, and analyzing information. They must also learn how to determine the currency, validity, and veracity of the information itself. All of these changes in learning have implications for teaching practices as well.

Changes to Teaching

The most significant change occurring in relation to information technology and education is the shift in how teaching is increasingly being delivered via technology, rather than merely using technology as an additional tool in the classroom. Information technology particularly impacts course content, teaching methodology, and the recruitment and training of teaching staff, as well as the content of courses.

Information technology requires teachers to learn new sets of skills. Utilizing computer technology enhances the educational experience of students—not just because of the media itself, but because software programs encourage teachers to think laterally and systematically, leading to the production of better teaching materials.

Lloyd Duru, Esq., FCArb, FICMC

Trustee, EduTrust Foundation

Lloyd Duru, Esq., FCArb, FICMC

Trustee, EduTrust Foundation

Upgrading Education in Nigeria

My name is Lloyd Duru. In addition to practicing law for over two decades, I have worked for over 15 years in training and capacity building in Alternative Dispute Resolution and Peacebuilding. I cannot overemphasize the value of continuing education and life skills beyond what is taught in the classroom.

EduTrust Foundation represents an integration of formal and informal education, local resources, and global standards for impact in our dear country.

Partnerships

Our strategy is hinged on building strong partnerships with stakeholders and influencers in the education sector—the public sector, private sector, people sector, and development partners—to address policy gaps and undertake remedial action and improvements. Our strength lies in our wide network of contributors, associates, volunteers, and resource persons. At EduTrust Foundation, we think global and act local.

Enterprise

EduTrust is a social enterprise and a not-for-profit venture. This means that we apply business strategies to maximize social impact. We are not averse to creating value. When we make profits or returns from any venture, we reinvest them into expanding access to education in Nigeria. We also provide incentives to local innovators and resource persons who are a strong link in our value chain. This way, we can reach villages, communities, and populations that are otherwise hard to reach.

Bibian Urum

Volunteer, EduTrust Foundation

Bibian Urum

Volunteer, EduTrust Foundation

Our 5-Step Approach

My name is Bibian Urum. I am a lawyer, a social engineer, and I am moved by seeing people give their best and realize their highest potential in any field of endeavour.

I believe strongly that it is possible to make quality education affordable, accessible, relatable, and usable for all Nigerians, notwithstanding their social status or location. In fact, it is not only possible, but there is also an overwhelming need to make it happen in Nigeria. To achieve this, EduTrust Foundation has developed a 5-step approach.

1. Standardize

We live in a global world, and our education must equip Nigerians with the tools and skills to compete in any sector in the global space. There is already undeniably a wide gap, and we must narrow the gap.

2. Localize

While maintaining global standards, educational resources must be relatable and usable by Nigerians. If it sounds foreign and feels foreign, the majority will not connect to it.

3. Gamify

Big textbooks and boring lectures are no longer cool to millennials. The trick is to simplify the form, content, and user experience of educational resources while not losing quality.

4. Digitize

Digitization is not only about internet access. It includes formats that enable the majority of the people to access resources, including radio and TV, and recorded lectures. Digitization breaks down the four walls of the classroom and brings education closer to the people.

5. Disseminate

After all is said and done, educational tools and resources must reach people in locations distant from state capitals and city centres. These are often the areas that are most in need of quality education.

To achieve all the above, the efforts of EduTrust Foundation alone are not enough. The government alone has not been able to do it. Private schools alone cannot do it in a way that is affordable and accessible to all Nigerians. Working together, we all can make it happen in our generation. We have complained enough; it’s time to take action. Be part of the change.

Chima Osuji, Esq

Law and Policy Reform Officer, EduTrust Foundation

Chima Osuji, Esq

Law and Policy Reform Officer, EduTrust Foundation

Education Law and Policy Implementation

My name is Chima Osuji. I am a lawyer, teacher, writer, promoter of diversity in cultural expression, and advocate for education law and policy reform.

Nigeria’s National Policy on Education is unequivocal in declaring that:

“The philosophy of Nigeria education is based on the development of the individual into a sound and effective citizen and the provision of equal opportunities for all citizens of the nation at the basic, secondary, and tertiary levels both inside and outside the formal school system.”

In 20 years of our return to democracy (1999-2019), Nigeria has spent trillions of Naira on education at the federal and state levels. Yet, one wonders whether such huge investment has resulted in a critical mass of well-rounded individuals inspired to make positive contributions in a progressive society. Overall, the value of our graduates, certificates, and social capital continues to be on the decline. Obviously, some things need to change.

The Need for Change

The change we want to see in the education sector in Nigeria will not happen on a massive scale unless two things happen together:

The legal and policy regime permits and actively promotes change and innovation.
We prioritize implementation of existing laws, policies, guidelines, and regulations.

The scope of our education laws and policies in Nigeria is quite commendable. But of what value are the laws and policies if, for the large part, they are merely ink on paper?

Time for Action

20 years is enough time for “siddon-look.” It is time to go back to the foundation. It is time to go back to Section 18 of our 1999 Constitution, which seeks to promote educational opportunities for all Nigerians. It is time to open a national and state dialogue on effective implementation of education laws, policies, guidelines, and regulations, to address what is not working for free and basic education, and to promote incentives for innovation in the education sector.

EduTrust Foundation’s Commitment

At EduTrust Foundation, we make education our business because we realize that education is a catalyst for nation-building. We advocate for and support full implementation of our national and state laws and policies on education. Join hands with us to build a greater Nigeria.

Samaila Magaji

Driver Class One/Transporter, EduTrust Foundation

Samaila Magaji

Driver Class One/Transporter, EduTrust Foundation

Local Knowledge + Local Resources

My name is Samaila Magaji, a Certified Professional Driver/Transporter and lifelong learner. Presently, I am studying for a B.Sc. in Peace and Conflict Resolution at the National Open University of Nigeria.

I have traveled to 33 out of the 36 States of Nigeria, across the 6 geo-political zones. My extensive travels have enabled me to interact with diverse peoples of diverse cultures and exposed me to the struggles of peoples and communities living in underdeveloped parts of the country. It is not mere coincidence that the most underdeveloped parts of Nigeria are also the most educationally deprived.

A Common Vision for Nigeria

In my experience, one thing stands out: we all want the same things in Nigeria, and we all want the same things for Nigeria.

I want a greater, more inclusive, progressive, and prosperous Nigeria, and I know you do too. I want to have:

Steady power supply
Good roads
Efficient healthcare
Responsible and responsive governance
Quality education for my children
The assurance that I will leave Nigeria better than I met it for the sake of my children and grandchildren

I am sure you do too.

The Path to Progress

These things will happen only if we address the root causes of underdevelopment in Nigeria instead of chasing shadows. These things will happen only if we look inwards and realize the highest potential of our most important resource: our people.

Join Us in Making a Difference

So, join us at EduTrust Foundation and support us in expanding access to education so that, together, we can build the Nigeria of our dreams.

If you believe in the same things as we do, please like our page, get involved, and support the mission of EduTrust Foundation.

The EduTrust Team

Bringing Innovation to EduTrust

Okey Uzoechina

Toyin Ajao (PhD)

Prof. Rev. Fr. Edwin Obimma Ezike, PhD, FCArb

Cynthia Ubadigbo

Marline Oluchi Okoh

Obiora Ubadigbo

Ummita Abdullahi

Samson Nnah

Lloyd Duru, Esq., FCArb, FICMC

Bibian Urum

Chima Osuji, Esq

Samaila Magaji

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