Education is a Right, Not Privilege: Reflections from Access Bank’s UK Polo Day 2025

Access Bank’s UK Charity Polo Day 2025 recently transformed the elegant grounds of Windsor’s Guards Polo Club into a rallying point for educational equity. Partnering with Fifth Chukker and UNICEF, the event went beyond sport and spectacle to spotlight a powerful message: that every child, regardless of background, deserves the right to learn as It united global stakeholders in a shared mission—to break barriers and build futures through education. Precious Ugwuzor reports

Last Saturday, the lush fields of Guards Polo Club in Windsor came alive with the rhythmic thunder of hooves and the crack of mallets on ball. But beyond the glamour of the game and the splendour of the setting, something far more profound echoed through the manicured greens: a call to action, that education is not a privilege for the few but a fundamental right for every child, everywhere.

This powerful message was the heartbeat of the Access Bank UK Charity Polo Day 2025, an annual event hosted in partnership with Fifth Chukker and UNICEF. The initiative has evolved from a sporting showcase into a global platform for philanthropy and social advocacy, focused especially on bridging the educational divide in Nigeria’s underserved communities.

From Elegance to Empowerment

In many circles, polo remains a symbol of luxury and exclusivity. Yet, in the hands of Access Bank and its partners, the sport has become a powerful metaphor for access and equity. Over the past decade, the Charity Polo Day has gone beyond the paddocks to deliver measurable impact on the ground. The funds raised have been used to construct 60 fully equipped classroom blocks in Kaduna State, with additional 60 being constructed, thereby providing educational access to more than 14,000 children.

The transformation is nothing short of remarkable. What began with one small, under-resourced school serving barely 400 pupils has blossomed into a robust educational movement, creating not just school buildings but centres of hope where futures are reimagined.

This year’s edition of the Polo Day sets an even more ambitious target: to build additional classroom blocks, effectively multiplying the impact and ensuring that even more children, especially girls and those from marginalised communities, are given the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.

The event’s underlying philosophy is simple but bold: Education changes everything. It is the single most effective weapon against poverty, inequality, and ignorance. And through the lens of this initiative, education is portrayed not as a luxury to be earned but as a birthright to be honoured.

A Collective Commitment across Continents

Stretching across the pristine lawns of Windsor to the dusty roads of Kaduna, this initiative is powered by a shared vision and a coalition of global changemakers. At the heart of the polo day is a spirit of cross-continental solidarity, Africa and Europe, public and private sector, finance and philanthropy, working together to expand the frontiers of access to education.

Jamie Simmonds, CEO of Access Bank UK, captured this sentiment in his address at the event. “This is more than a spectacle,” he said. “This is a bridge between continents, between privilege and purpose. Every time the ball moves across this polo field, we are moving a child closer to their future.”

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman of Access Holdings PLC and one of the visionaries behind this project, emphasised the importance of building legacy. “What we are doing here today is beyond charity,” he remarked. “It is a deliberate investment in the future of Africa. Because when we educate children, we equip them to shape their communities, their countries, and the world.”

Roosevelt Ogbonna, Group Managing Director/CEO of Access Bank, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to long-term transformation, stressing that education is not optional, it is foundational. “We believe that sustainable leadership in business must be matched by social responsibility. That is why we continue to invest in initiatives like this, that have the power to transform not just lives, but entire communities.”

Supporting these efforts is UNICEF, the world’s leading child rights agency. Their role is critical, not just as a beneficiary of the funds raised, but as a strategic partner ensuring that every naira and pound donated translates into bricks, books, and brighter futures. With UNICEF’s involvement, the project is governed by rigorous accountability, local engagement, and sustainable delivery models tailored to the real needs of the children and communities it serves.

When Luxury Meets Legacy

The UK Polo Day continues to attract an impressive blend of guests: philanthropists, diplomats, royals, captains of industry, media executives, and policymakers, all united by a shared cause. This year, the event featured thrilling matches involving global polo legends like Adolfo Cambiaso and his daughter Mia Cambiaso, showcasing not just the elegance of the sport but its power to connect generations and continents.

Yet, the true magic lay beyond the boundaries of the field. The conversations, the commitments, and the pledges made in Windsor will ripple far beyond its gates, into classrooms yet to be built, children yet to be enrolled, and lives yet to be touched.

This seamless fusion of luxury and legacy, of opulence and obligation, underscores the potential of corporate citizenship. It is a reminder that powerful institutions, when guided by purposeful vision, can rewrite narratives, redefine possibilities, and restore dignity.

A Vision for Equity

In Nigeria, as in many parts of Africa, the barriers to education are both structural and systemic. The obstacles are real, ranging from inadequate infrastructure and economic hardship to gender discrimination and insecurity. And yet, the desire to learn remains undiminished.

This is why initiatives like Access Bank’s Charity Polo Day are not just timely, they are transformational. They represent a deliberate choice to level the playing field, to ensure that no child is denied an education simply because of where they were born or what their parents earn.

By placing education at the centre of its CSR strategy, Access Bank is reinforcing a vision of equity, where every child, regardless of background, has a chance to read, write, and dream.

“Education is not a privilege,” Ogbonna reminded the audience, “It is a human right. And we all have a role to play in defending and delivering that right.”

Beyond Charity: A Strategic Imperative

It is tempting to view such events as only charitable gestures. But that would be to understate their strategic value. Supporting education is not merely a moral duty, it is an economic and developmental imperative. A society that educates its children is a society that secures its future workforce, fosters innovation, reduces crime, promotes health, and enhances governance.

In other words, the ROI on education is immeasurable and enduring.

That is why Access Bank’s investment in education is aligned not just with its values, but with its business ethos: to be a catalyst for inclusive growth. And it is why the Polo Day continues to grow in scale, ambition, and influence.

A Rallying Cry for All

As the final match drew to a close, the applause was not only for the players but for the cause. In that moment, the glamour of polo gave way to the gravity of purpose.

From London to Lagos, Windsor to Kaduna, the message rang loud and clear: education must be accessible to all. It is the foundation upon which dignity is built, prosperity is achieved, and peace is sustained.

Access Bank’s UK Polo Day 2025 did more than raise funds: it raised consciousness. It reminded us that access requires effort, but the cost of exclusion is far greater. It proved that when vision meets action, and privilege meets purpose, the result is lasting impact.

Because in the end, a classroom is not just four walls, it is a launchpad for dreams. And every child deserves a seat.