Nigerian philanthropist and humanitarian, Olakunle Oladehin, celebrated his 50th birthday in Lagos recently by organising a fundraising event to support his alma mater, Adeniyi Jones Primary School.
Oladehin said in an interview that his motivation to organise the event stemmed from his personal experience with the declining state of public education in Nigeria.
He recounted how his mother had withdrawn him from a private school at the age of 10 and enrolled him in a public school, which was considered better at the time. However, years later, the quality of public education in Nigeria has drastically declined, adversely affecting the standard of public tertiary institutions.
As the former president of the Alumni 1984 set, Oladehin and his colleagues initiated a project to bring significant improvement to Adeniyi Jones Primary School. He highlighted the progress made thus far and emphasized the need for further enhancement.
Read also: Funding, improved curriculum top demands from Tinubu’s education plan
“My goal is to create a suitable learning environment that enables pupils to thrive, flourish, and learn,” he said.
“It is my aim to equip the school with the necessary tools for advanced learning, including technology infrastructure such as the internet and necessary gadgets for students to harness technological opportunities and I hope to make Adeniyi Jones Primary School a model tech hub, where young future IT professionals can begin to develop their skills,” he further said.
In addition, Oladehin, not only works towards improving public education but also offers his medical expertise to support health screening initiatives in various communities and churches.
Regarding his future plans, Oladehin expressed his strong desire to continue creating a positive impact, irrespective of his position.
“My ultimate goal is to ensure that every Nigerian child has access to quality education in a conducive environment, thereby eliminating the need for children to roam the streets instead of attending school,” he said.
While Oladehin did not disclose the amount raised for privacy reasons, he expressed his appreciation to everyone who contributed towards achieving his goal.
“I hope that our efforts will inspire others to take action towards improving the public education system in Nigeria,” he said.
……….
