Private School Owners Push for Low-cost Education Solutions Rooted in Local-driven Approach

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

A group of private school owners, under the aegis of the Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED), and other education experts, have stated that for learning to be the key to sustainable development in Africa, the future must depend on low-cost education solutions rooted in its cultural wisdom, local resources and innovative practices.

It also noted that as Nigeria strives to provide education for all, the country must embrace African-driven approaches that blend tradition with modern techniques.

AFED is a private body that provides low-cost education, offering assistance to children on the street and out of school children with former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon; former Governor of Oyo State, Sen. Rashidi Ladoja and Hon. Orji Kanu Emmanuel as Grand Patrons.

It also has Prof. James Tooley, Prof. Pat Utomi, Dr. Bukola Ladoja, Dr. Muyiwa Bamgbose and Akpan Atai as matrons and patrons.

Speaking in an interview with journalists during a two-day conference in Benin, a matron of the association and former First Lady of Oyo State, Dr. Bukola Ladoja, said the essence of the gathering by AFED, drawn from school owners was to give affordable and quality education by playing a major role in breaching the gap, exposed school owners, teachers to training on the best approach to handle pupils problems of reading and comprehension.

She also said the body has trained 250 teachers in five states of the South-West region, combining innovations such as the use of mother tongue embedding technology into education to reinforce learning and impact schools under their supervision.

Speaking at the AFED 2025 African Education Conference with the theme: ‘Harnessing African Wisdom And Innovation For Sustainable Development’, the National President of the association, Hon. Orji Kanu Emmanuel, in an address, noted that the future of Nigeria depends on how well we educate our children today and in the future.

According to him, Africa has always been a hub of wisdom, resilience and creativity with a traditional learning system rooted in mentorship, storytelling and apprenticeships that have shaped generations of leaders, innovators and problems solvers, declaring, “Today, we must draw from this rich heritage while embracing technical advancement and policy reforms that make education more inclusive and impactful.”

He added to achieve this, “We must work together – school owners, educators, policymakers and partners to create a system where no child  is left behind and where education should remain the strongest driver of sustainable development.”

Kanu Emmanuel disclosed that for the past 25 years, AFED has been at the forefront of transforming low-cost private education by ensuring that millions of children, regardless of their backgrounds, have access to learning opportunities that empower them for the future.

“Our theme for this year, ‘Education for all: Harnessing African Wisdom and Innovation for Sustainable Development,’ reflects our beliefs that sustainable progress lies in blending our indigenous knowledge with modern innovation,” he stated.