₦20.25m education pilot targets 750 pupils in Lagos

L-R: Anthony Anenechukwu, Project Partner; Blessing Anenechukwu, CEO/Director of Education, Glowfield International School; Nkolika Unachukwu, Project Coordinator, CTYEEF; Godswill Ideh, trustee member, CTYEEF; and Dr Nnamdi Unachukwu, Executive Chairman, BMI Publishers, at the official launch of the CTYEE Foundation in Lagos.

A ₦20.25 million education programme targeting 750 pupils has commenced in 14 public schools across Lagos State.

The Catch Them Young Entrepreneurship Education Foundation (CTYEEF) announced the pilot at its official launch in Ikeja on Friday.

The programme covers schools in Ikeja, Eti-Osa and Ajeromi-Ifelodun local government areas and will provide 1,500 textbooks and workbooks on pre-vocational studies and digital literacy.

According to CTYEEF, the ₦20.25 million represents the combined value of the learning materials, digital resources and teacher training provided under the programme.

The foundation said the project was being implemented under the supervision of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board.

It described the Lagos pilot as the first stage of a broader plan to equip 10 million children in Nigeria and other African countries with entrepreneurship, vocational and digital skills by 2040.

CTYEEF Programme Coordinator Unachukwu Nkolika said the intervention was designed to complement Nigeria’s revised basic education curriculum by providing resources needed for practical classroom instruction.

Ms Nkolika said introducing new subjects would not improve learning outcomes if teachers lacked adequate training and pupils did not have the books and tools required to participate.

“A curriculum on paper does not change a child’s life. It needs books in the hands of pupils, tools in the classroom and teachers who are confident to teach new subjects,” she said.

She explained that the resources would support pre-vocational and digital literacy lessons while helping pupils develop problem-solving, creativity and self-reliance.

The revised curriculum, introduced from the 2025/2026 academic session, added digital and pre-vocational learning at the basic education level and expanded vocational subjects for secondary-school students.

The trade subjects include solar photovoltaic installation and maintenance, fashion design and garment making, livestock farming, beauty and cosmetology, computer hardware and GSM repairs, and horticulture and crop production.

Ms Nkolika said CTYEEF would work with education ministries, government agencies and Universal Basic Education Boards to provide learning materials and help teachers deliver the new subjects.

She added that the foundation had secured approval from the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board to extend the programme to 10 primary schools in the state.

Beyond pupils already enrolled in public schools, the foundation said its long-term intervention would prioritise out-of-school children and underserved communities.

It also plans to expand access among girls and children with disabilities, groups that often face additional barriers to education and skills training.

CTYEEF said it would document the schools and pupils reached, track materials distributed and publish reports measuring the programme’s outcomes.

The foundation was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in 2025.

Speaking at the launch, BMI Publishers Executive Chairman Nnamdi Unachukwu said inadequate funding and limited teacher preparation continued to hinder implementation of the revised curriculum in public schools.

BMI Publishers is the programme’s implementation partner and developed the books and digital learning materials being deployed during the pilot.

Mr Unachukwu said some private schools had begun adopting resources for the new subjects, while many public schools still lacked the materials and organised training required.

He argued that teachers were central to the curriculum’s success and should receive practical support before being expected to teach unfamiliar vocational and digital subjects.

Mr Unachukwu also warned that Nigeria’s growing youth population could become a social and economic burden if young people were not equipped with employable and entrepreneurial skills.

The pilot was sponsored by Anthony Anenechukwu of Glowfield International Group of Schools as part of activities marking his 50th birthday.

Mr Anenechukwu said he chose to support the programme because educational resources could create a more lasting impact than a personal celebration.

“This partnership is not charity alone. It is strategy. It is nation-building,” he said.

He urged individuals, businesses, religious organisations and other institutions to support the programme by sponsoring pupils, schools or learning materials.

CTYEEF said achieving its 2040 target would depend on partnerships with governments, corporate organisations, development agencies, educational institutions and private donors.