Teach For Nigeria has appointed Ayodele Olajiga, a member of our board of trustees, as its Interim CEO, succeeding Folawe Omikunle after her nine years of exemplary leadership.
Ayodele holds an Electronics and Electrical Engineering degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, and a Master’s in Telecommunications from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
He is a certified executive and business coach with extensive experience as an investment banker, management consultant, and entrepreneur.
His dedication to educational equity and proven leadership make him an ideal fit for this role. As a founding member, Ayodele has been instrumental in our mission to make sure that every child has the opportunity to attain an excellent education.
“Folawe is a true example of an exceptional leader. The entire board and management team of Teach For Nigeria appreciates her guidance and leadership and wishes her well in her future endeavours,” said Kunle Elebute, Teach For Nigeria’s board chairman in a statement.
“I welcome Ayodele Olajiga as the interim CEO and look forward to working closely with him to drive the mission of Teach For Nigeria,” he said.
Folawe’s leadership journey with Teach For Nigeria began in 2015, where she did a short stint as a program manager before becoming the CEO in 2016.
Over the past nine years, she has been a cornerstone of the organization’s growth, leading it from its pre-incorporation stage to becoming a key player in Nigeria’s education sector.
Under her guidance, Teach For Nigeria has impacted over 160,000 children and placed at least 1,500 fellows in more than 600 low-income schools across Lagos, Kaduna, Ogun, and Oyo States.
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The impact of Folawe’s leadership was evident in an external research publication by RAND Corporation which revealed, among other valuable findings, that – “students taught by TFN Fellows achieved 2-3 months of additional learning gains in literacy and 2-5 months in numeracy compared to their peers in non-TFN classrooms.”
In a farewell message to the organisation’s team members, Folawe said, “Working alongside you all has been an extraordinary and fulfilling journey. Together, we have strived to nurture the next generation of Nigerian leaders, and I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished.”
In his acceptance remarks, Ayodele Olajiga said, “I am honoured to be appointed as the Interim CEO. Together, we will continue to build on the solid foundation laid by Folawe, mobilizing more leaders to expand educational and life opportunities for one million children annually over the next decade.”
As Teach For Nigeria embraces this new chapter, the organisation calls on well-meaning individuals and corporate Nigeria to support its efforts to scale across all geopolitical zones.
