Nigeria’s Olanrewaju Oniyitan, Founder and Executive Director of SEED Care & Support Foundation, Hakeem Subair, Founder and CEO of 1 Million Teachers (1MT), and, Josiah Olusegun Ajiboye, Registrar and Chief Executive of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, have been named among the ten Finalists for the Africa Education Medal 2024. Founded by T4 Education and HP, the Africa Education Medal is Africa’s most prestigious education accolade.

The Africa Education Medal recognises the tireless work of those who are transforming education across the continent – celebrating the stories of those who have lit the spark of change so others will be inspired to take up the torch. It is given to an outstanding individual who has demonstrated impact, leadership, and advocacy in the field of education.

The winner of this year’s Africa Education Medal will be invited to attend the World Schools Summit in Dubai on November 23-24 and, in recognition of the urgent need to solve the teacher recruitment and retention crisis to tackle learning gaps, the winner will be entitled to nominate a school of their choice to receive membership of T4 Education’s Best School to Work programme – an independent, evidence-based mechanism to certify schools for their culture and help them transform their working environment to attract and retain the best teachers.

Olanrewaju Oniyitan is Founder and Executive Director of SEED Care & Support Foundation in Nigeria, a non-profit that supports the affordable non-state education sector to deliver access to quality education for all children by providing advocacy, evidence and a learning network. A consultant, entrepreneur, author, and speaker with over two decades of experience focusing on creating wealth, jobs, and economic growth in Africa, she believes in the transformative power of education in achieving all other Sustainable Development Goals.

Her work seeks to address the challenge that half of Nigeria's population is under 19 years old, yet many lack access to quality education. Over 20 million are out of school and 70% of children in school are experiencing learning poverty. She believes the affordable non-state sector (low-fee private schools, faith-based schools, community schools, alternative learning centres) plays an indispensable role, in tandem with the government, in expanding access to education and improving learning outcomes and SEED Care & Support Foundation supports this sector to help build a world where all children no matter their background have access to quality education.

The organisation amplifies the role of the affordable non-state sector by giving it a seat at the policy table, working through partnerships to shape system-wide change. It designs, pilots, monitors and adapts innovations, models, concepts and frameworks to local contexts for learning and scale, using the evidence to mobilise and persuade strategic actors to pay attention to the affordable non-state sector both locally, in Africa and around the world.

The organisation also strengthens and grows the affordable non-state sector to enhance the quality of education it offers through its collaborative community, school transformation programme, finance, communities of practice and curated learning experiences.

Oniyitan’s organisation aims to impact 20,000 affordable non-state schools/centres towards transforming the lives of 1 million children across Nigeria by 2035.

Oniyitan’s extensive experience as an international development expert has led her to work with organisations and projects funded by FCDO, World Bank, GIZ, OXFAM, Stanford University, African Development Bank (AfDB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, amongst others.

She has won multiple awards and recognitions including: Top 50 African Women In Development 2024, Outstanding Service to Humanity 2022, Service Excellence Award 2022, Nigerian Education Outliers 2020, Obama Foundation African Leader 2019, Edu-Gladiator Award 2018, and Award of Excellence in Entrepreneurship Development 2018.

Hakeem Subair, is the Founder and CEO of 1 Million Teachers (1MT), and a prominent figure in educational innovation. His extensive academic background includes a master’s degree in Management Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Queen’s University and a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Business from the University of Windsor, alongside a Bachelor of Finance from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. An Edtech Fellow at Cambridge University/HP Partnership for Education, Subair’s accolades include numerous academic awards and membership in the Golden Key International Honour Society. He has also served as an adjunct professor, teaching courses in Innovation and Change Management, and Artificial Intelligence and Entrepreneurship.

1 Million Teachers was inspired by Subair’s personal experience of the challenges in finding quality education for his daughter in Nigeria. This led to the establishment of their own school in 2008, revealing the systemic issues within the Nigerian education system, particularly the lack of qualified teachers. Driven by this realisation, Subair founded 1MT to transform education.

1MT aims to create a wave of highly trained, innovative educators capable of driving grassroots change. Despite numerous challenges, the organisation has trained over 60,000 educators across more than 20 countries, indirectly impacting approximately 4 million students. This growth underscores the founding vision and the resilience of the 1MT community.

One of 1MT's flagship initiatives is the Blackbelt Program, a teacher training model inspired by martial arts. Educators progress through various levels of mastery by completing online courses, mentoring sessions, and community projects. This programme covers pedagogy, curriculum design, classroom management, leadership, and innovation, providing access to a global network of peers and experts.

In partnership with HP and Girl Rising, 1MT launched the HP Mentor a Teacher Program, focusing on gender equity, digital literacy, leadership development, and success mindset. This programme pairs HP employees with Blackbelt educators, enhancing their ability to empower girls and advance quality education.

1MT collaborates with numerous academic institutions and organisations to offer supplementary teacher education, global knowledge exchanges, and professional development opportunities. These collaborations ensure that aspiring teachers receive comprehensive training to meet the sector's challenges.

Under Subair’s leadership, 1 Million Teachers is a pioneering force in global education reform, dedicated to building a critical mass of highly trained, enterprising education changemakers. Through innovative programmes, strategic partnerships, and a deep-rooted passion for education, Subair and 1MT are shaping a brighter future for educators and students worldwide.

Josiah Olusegun Ajiboye is Registrar and Chief Executive of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) - the regulatory body committed to the professional development and registration of qualified and competent educators across Nigeria.

Ajiboye first worked as a secondary school teacher, before going on to become a lecturer and then Professor of Curriculum Studies: Social Studies/Civics Education at the University of Ibadan. He was appointed to the TRCN by the country’s President in 2016. He also serves as the President of the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA).

The TRCN seeks to assure excellence and professionalism among teachers at all levels of the nation’s education system, using effective registration, licensing, accreditation, monitoring and supervision of teacher education programmes, promoting continuing professional development and maintenance of discipline as paradigms for the overall renaissance of the teaching profession in Nigeria.

At the TRCN, Ajiboye introduced the Professional Qualifying Examination for Nigerian teachers in 2017. It is now compulsory for anyone who intends to teach in the country to pass this key examination and obtain a teacher's license and certificate. This has led to marked improvements in teaching and learning in Nigeria.

Today TRCN enjoys global recognition as a leading teacher regulatory body in Africa, and Nigerian teachers now enjoy mobility to all parts of the globe with a letter of professional standing issued by TRCN. Ajiboye proudly advocates for the status of teachers in the country and around the world, supporting teacher welfare and professionalism.

Mayank Dhingra, Senior Education Business Leader at HP, said: “Congratulations to Nigeria’s Olanrewaju Oniyitan, Hakeem Subair, and Josiah Olusegun Ajiboye on being named Finalists for the Africa Education Medal 2024. Their passion and dedication to transforming education will inspire countless others to follow in their footsteps in building a world where quality education is enjoyed by all.

“HP has a bold goal to accelerate digital equity for 150 million people globally by 2030. Only by joining forces and aligning with NGOs, government, educators and businesses can we truly improve the education environment. The Africa Education Medal brings together all those who are changing the face of African education, whose work we must all learn from if the world is to meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.”

Vikas Pota, the Founder and CEO of T4 Education, said: “The Africa Education Medal honours changemakers where change is needed most. Where learning gaps remain stubbornly persistent and where deep inequalities remain.

“If we are to tackle these colossal challenges, and unlock the continent’s future, we must build a community of leaders from every sphere of society committed to educational transformation. Leaders like Olanrewaju Oniyitan, Hakeem Subair, and Josiah Ajiboye. Africa, and the world, has so much to learn from your inspirational stories and your vital contribution to the next generation.”

The Finalists for the Africa Education Medal 2024 are:

● Ahmed Kura, Co-Executive Director, Kenya Drylands Education Fund, Kenya

● Angeline (Angie) Murimirwa, CEO, CAMFED, Zimbabwe

● Christopher Khaemba, Co-Founder & Director, Nova Pioneer, Kenya

● Hakeem Subair, CEO, 1 Million Teachers, Nigeria

● Josiah Olusegun Ajiboye, Registrar & Chief Executive, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Nigeria

● Julian Hewitt, Outgoing CEO, The Jakes Gerwel Fellowship, South Africa

● Mohammed Haroon, Principal Education Consultant, Ghana

● Nankunda Hope Mwijuka, Executive Director, Raising Teenagers Uganda, Uganda

● Olanrewaju Oniyitan, Founder & Executive Director, SEED Care & Support Foundation, Nigeria

● Taddy Blecher CEO & Co-Founder, Maharishi Invincibility Institute, South Africa

Nominations for the Africa Education Medal opened in February 2024 for individuals working to improve pre-kindergarten, K-12, vocational and university education who are either educators or school leaders, civil society leaders, public servants, government officials, political leaders, entrepreneurs, business leaders, or technologists.

In its third year, the Africa Education Medal is the oldest of the three World Education Medals established by T4 Education and HP.

The winner will be announced in October. They will be chosen by a Jury comprising prominent individuals based on rigorous criteria.

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