Teach For Nigeria has inducted 499 education leaders into its alumni community to further push its commitment to tackling educational inequality and ensuring that every child has access to quality education.The 2026 graduating class, joining the TFN Alumni community, comprises Fellows and School Leaders who have transformed learning experiences in underserved communities over the past two years through initiatives aimed at improving educational outcomes.The Class of 2026 implemented projects that covered literacy and numeracy programmes, digital literacy, teacher professional development, school improvement, gender equity and girls’ empowerment, climate action and youth empowerment, in Lagos and Ogun states.Speaking at the ceremony, held on Friday in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer of Teach For Nigeria, Molade Adeniyi, said the graduates demonstrated that leadership was not defined by titles but by the willingness to serve and confront educational challenges.Adeniyi, who reflected on witnessing the impact of the graduates in classrooms, said, “I saw classrooms fully engaged under their instruction, learners with eyes filled with hope, and moments that young people will never forget – moments when they realised that they could be anything they wanted to be. That is true leadership. That is what makes a champion.”She said the 2026 class implemented 271 Be The Change projects, with 186 led by Fellows and 85 by School Leaders, reaching more than 68,000 students directly and over 100,000 indirectly across the two South-West states.Related NewsEducation is effective weapon against insecurity, poverty – KukahResidents decry slow pace of Ogun community road projectTinubu approves regularisation of 3,252 PTA teachersThe Co-founder and Board Member of Teach For Nigeria, Ayodele Olajiga, in his commencement address, reflected on the organisation’s journey, noting that the movement started with a conviction to address educational inequity.“When we started Teach For Nigeria, we did not have a movement, an alumni network, or a proven model. What we had was a conviction and unanswered questions. Those founding questions have been answered not by theories, but by you,” he said.Olajiga urged the graduates to see themselves as champions, stressing that true leadership was reflected in the choices individuals made to create change.“Champions are not defined by trophies; they are defined by their choices. It is the choice to stand in front of the classroom every single morning when conditions are difficult. It is the choice to look at the child everyone else has written off and say, ‘I see something in you, and I’m not giving up on you,’” he said.He added that behind every statistic were individual stories of children whose lives had been transformed through the efforts of the education leaders.“A number is a room full of names. Inside 446,000 children is a girl who couldn’t see the board until one of you discovered that. Inside that number is a boy who thought school wasn’t for him until one of you refused to let him disappear. Inside that number is a child who will reach secondary school because one of you made that possible,” Olajiga said. The 2026 graduating class, joining the TFN Alumni community, comprises Fellows and School Leaders who have transformed learning experiences in underserved communities over the past two years through initiatives aimed at improving educational outcomes.The Class of 2026 implemented projects that covered literacy and numeracy programmes, digital literacy, teacher professional development, school improvement, gender equity and girls’ empowerment, climate action and youth empowerment, in Lagos and Ogun states.Speaking at the ceremony, held on Friday in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer of Teach For Nigeria, Molade Adeniyi, said the graduates demonstrated that leadership was not defined by titles but by the willingness to serve and confront educational challenges.Adeniyi, who reflected on witnessing the impact of the graduates in classrooms, said, “I saw classrooms fully engaged under their instruction, learners with eyes filled with hope, and moments that young people will never forget – moments when they realised that they could be anything they wanted to be. That is true leadership. That is what makes a champion.”She said the 2026 class implemented 271 Be The Change projects, with 186 led by Fellows and 85 by School Leaders, reaching more than 68,000 students directly and over 100,000 indirectly across the two South-West states.Related NewsEducation is effective weapon against insecurity, poverty – KukahResidents decry slow pace of Ogun community road projectTinubu approves regularisation of 3,252 PTA teachersThe Co-founder and Board Member of Teach For Nigeria, Ayodele Olajiga, in his commencement address, reflected on the organisation’s journey, noting that the movement started with a conviction to address educational inequity.“When we started Teach For Nigeria, we did not have a movement, an alumni network, or a proven model. What we had was a conviction and unanswered questions. Those founding questions have been answered not by theories, but by you,” he said.Olajiga urged the graduates to see themselves as champions, stressing that true leadership was reflected in the choices individuals made to create change.“Champions are not defined by trophies; they are defined by their choices. It is the choice to stand in front of the classroom every single morning when conditions are difficult. It is the choice to look at the child everyone else has written off and say, ‘I see something in you, and I’m not giving up on you,’” he said.He added that behind every statistic were individual stories of children whose lives had been transformed through the efforts of the education leaders.“A number is a room full of names. Inside 446,000 children is a girl who couldn’t see the board until one of you discovered that. Inside that number is a boy who thought school wasn’t for him until one of you refused to let him disappear. Inside that number is a child who will reach secondary school because one of you made that possible,” Olajiga said. The Class of 2026 implemented projects that covered literacy and numeracy programmes, digital literacy, teacher professional development, school improvement, gender equity and girls’ empowerment, climate action and youth empowerment, in Lagos and Ogun states.Speaking at the ceremony, held on Friday in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer of Teach For Nigeria, Molade Adeniyi, said the graduates demonstrated that leadership was not defined by titles but by the willingness to serve and confront educational challenges.Adeniyi, who reflected on witnessing the impact of the graduates in classrooms, said, “I saw classrooms fully engaged under their instruction, learners with eyes filled with hope, and moments that young people will never forget – moments when they realised that they could be anything they wanted to be. That is true leadership. That is what makes a champion.”She said the 2026 class implemented 271 Be The Change projects, with 186 led by Fellows and 85 by School Leaders, reaching more than 68,000 students directly and over 100,000 indirectly across the two South-West states.Related NewsEducation is effective weapon against insecurity, poverty – KukahResidents decry slow pace of Ogun community road projectTinubu approves regularisation of 3,252 PTA teachersThe Co-founder and Board Member of Teach For Nigeria, Ayodele Olajiga, in his commencement address, reflected on the organisation’s journey, noting that the movement started with a conviction to address educational inequity.“When we started Teach For Nigeria, we did not have a movement, an alumni network, or a proven model. What we had was a conviction and unanswered questions. Those founding questions have been answered not by theories, but by you,” he said.Olajiga urged the graduates to see themselves as champions, stressing that true leadership was reflected in the choices individuals made to create change.“Champions are not defined by trophies; they are defined by their choices. It is the choice to stand in front of the classroom every single morning when conditions are difficult. It is the choice to look at the child everyone else has written off and say, ‘I see something in you, and I’m not giving up on you,’” he said.He added that behind every statistic were individual stories of children whose lives had been transformed through the efforts of the education leaders.“A number is a room full of names. Inside 446,000 children is a girl who couldn’t see the board until one of you discovered that. Inside that number is a boy who thought school wasn’t for him until one of you refused to let him disappear. Inside that number is a child who will reach secondary school because one of you made that possible,” Olajiga said. Speaking at the ceremony, held on Friday in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer of Teach For Nigeria, Molade Adeniyi, said the graduates demonstrated that leadership was not defined by titles but by the willingness to serve and confront educational challenges.Adeniyi, who reflected on witnessing the impact of the graduates in classrooms, said, “I saw classrooms fully engaged under their instruction, learners with eyes filled with hope, and moments that young people will never forget – moments when they realised that they could be anything they wanted to be. That is true leadership. That is what makes a champion.”She said the 2026 class implemented 271 Be The Change projects, with 186 led by Fellows and 85 by School Leaders, reaching more than 68,000 students directly and over 100,000 indirectly across the two South-West states.Related NewsEducation is effective weapon against insecurity, poverty – KukahResidents decry slow pace of Ogun community road projectTinubu approves regularisation of 3,252 PTA teachersThe Co-founder and Board Member of Teach For Nigeria, Ayodele Olajiga, in his commencement address, reflected on the organisation’s journey, noting that the movement started with a conviction to address educational inequity.“When we started Teach For Nigeria, we did not have a movement, an alumni network, or a proven model. What we had was a conviction and unanswered questions. Those founding questions have been answered not by theories, but by you,” he said.Olajiga urged the graduates to see themselves as champions, stressing that true leadership was reflected in the choices individuals made to create change.“Champions are not defined by trophies; they are defined by their choices. It is the choice to stand in front of the classroom every single morning when conditions are difficult. It is the choice to look at the child everyone else has written off and say, ‘I see something in you, and I’m not giving up on you,’” he said.He added that behind every statistic were individual stories of children whose lives had been transformed through the efforts of the education leaders.“A number is a room full of names. Inside 446,000 children is a girl who couldn’t see the board until one of you discovered that. Inside that number is a boy who thought school wasn’t for him until one of you refused to let him disappear. Inside that number is a child who will reach secondary school because one of you made that possible,” Olajiga said. Adeniyi, who reflected on witnessing the impact of the graduates in classrooms, said, “I saw classrooms fully engaged under their instruction, learners with eyes filled with hope, and moments that young people will never forget – moments when they realised that they could be anything they wanted to be. That is true leadership. That is what makes a champion.”She said the 2026 class implemented 271 Be The Change projects, with 186 led by Fellows and 85 by School Leaders, reaching more than 68,000 students directly and over 100,000 indirectly across the two South-West states.Related NewsEducation is effective weapon against insecurity, poverty – KukahResidents decry slow pace of Ogun community road projectTinubu approves regularisation of 3,252 PTA teachersThe Co-founder and Board Member of Teach For Nigeria, Ayodele Olajiga, in his commencement address, reflected on the organisation’s journey, noting that the movement started with a conviction to address educational inequity.“When we started Teach For Nigeria, we did not have a movement, an alumni network, or a proven model. What we had was a conviction and unanswered questions. Those founding questions have been answered not by theories, but by you,” he said.Olajiga urged the graduates to see themselves as champions, stressing that true leadership was reflected in the choices individuals made to create change.“Champions are not defined by trophies; they are defined by their choices. It is the choice to stand in front of the classroom every single morning when conditions are difficult. It is the choice to look at the child everyone else has written off and say, ‘I see something in you, and I’m not giving up on you,’” he said.He added that behind every statistic were individual stories of children whose lives had been transformed through the efforts of the education leaders.“A number is a room full of names. Inside 446,000 children is a girl who couldn’t see the board until one of you discovered that. Inside that number is a boy who thought school wasn’t for him until one of you refused to let him disappear. Inside that number is a child who will reach secondary school because one of you made that possible,” Olajiga said. She said the 2026 class implemented 271 Be The Change projects, with 186 led by Fellows and 85 by School Leaders, reaching more than 68,000 students directly and over 100,000 indirectly across the two South-West states.Related NewsEducation is effective weapon against insecurity, poverty – KukahResidents decry slow pace of Ogun community road projectTinubu approves regularisation of 3,252 PTA teachersThe Co-founder and Board Member of Teach For Nigeria, Ayodele Olajiga, in his commencement address, reflected on the organisation’s journey, noting that the movement started with a conviction to address educational inequity.“When we started Teach For Nigeria, we did not have a movement, an alumni network, or a proven model. What we had was a conviction and unanswered questions. Those founding questions have been answered not by theories, but by you,” he said.Olajiga urged the graduates to see themselves as champions, stressing that true leadership was reflected in the choices individuals made to create change.“Champions are not defined by trophies; they are defined by their choices. It is the choice to stand in front of the classroom every single morning when conditions are difficult. It is the choice to look at the child everyone else has written off and say, ‘I see something in you, and I’m not giving up on you,’” he said.He added that behind every statistic were individual stories of children whose lives had been transformed through the efforts of the education leaders.“A number is a room full of names. Inside 446,000 children is a girl who couldn’t see the board until one of you discovered that. Inside that number is a boy who thought school wasn’t for him until one of you refused to let him disappear. Inside that number is a child who will reach secondary school because one of you made that possible,” Olajiga said. The Co-founder and Board Member of Teach For Nigeria, Ayodele Olajiga, in his commencement address, reflected on the organisation’s journey, noting that the movement started with a conviction to address educational inequity.“When we started Teach For Nigeria, we did not have a movement, an alumni network, or a proven model. What we had was a conviction and unanswered questions. Those founding questions have been answered not by theories, but by you,” he said.Olajiga urged the graduates to see themselves as champions, stressing that true leadership was reflected in the choices individuals made to create change.“Champions are not defined by trophies; they are defined by their choices. It is the choice to stand in front of the classroom every single morning when conditions are difficult. It is the choice to look at the child everyone else has written off and say, ‘I see something in you, and I’m not giving up on you,’” he said.He added that behind every statistic were individual stories of children whose lives had been transformed through the efforts of the education leaders.“A number is a room full of names. Inside 446,000 children is a girl who couldn’t see the board until one of you discovered that. Inside that number is a boy who thought school wasn’t for him until one of you refused to let him disappear. Inside that number is a child who will reach secondary school because one of you made that possible,” Olajiga said. “When we started Teach For Nigeria, we did not have a movement, an alumni network, or a proven model. What we had was a conviction and unanswered questions. Those founding questions have been answered not by theories, but by you,” he said.Olajiga urged the graduates to see themselves as champions, stressing that true leadership was reflected in the choices individuals made to create change.“Champions are not defined by trophies; they are defined by their choices. It is the choice to stand in front of the classroom every single morning when conditions are difficult. It is the choice to look at the child everyone else has written off and say, ‘I see something in you, and I’m not giving up on you,’” he said.He added that behind every statistic were individual stories of children whose lives had been transformed through the efforts of the education leaders.“A number is a room full of names. Inside 446,000 children is a girl who couldn’t see the board until one of you discovered that. Inside that number is a boy who thought school wasn’t for him until one of you refused to let him disappear. Inside that number is a child who will reach secondary school because one of you made that possible,” Olajiga said. Olajiga urged the graduates to see themselves as champions, stressing that true leadership was reflected in the choices individuals made to create change.“Champions are not defined by trophies; they are defined by their choices. It is the choice to stand in front of the classroom every single morning when conditions are difficult. It is the choice to look at the child everyone else has written off and say, ‘I see something in you, and I’m not giving up on you,’” he said.He added that behind every statistic were individual stories of children whose lives had been transformed through the efforts of the education leaders.“A number is a room full of names. Inside 446,000 children is a girl who couldn’t see the board until one of you discovered that. Inside that number is a boy who thought school wasn’t for him until one of you refused to let him disappear. Inside that number is a child who will reach secondary school because one of you made that possible,” Olajiga said. “Champions are not defined by trophies; they are defined by their choices. It is the choice to stand in front of the classroom every single morning when conditions are difficult. It is the choice to look at the child everyone else has written off and say, ‘I see something in you, and I’m not giving up on you,’” he said.He added that behind every statistic were individual stories of children whose lives had been transformed through the efforts of the education leaders.“A number is a room full of names. Inside 446,000 children is a girl who couldn’t see the board until one of you discovered that. Inside that number is a boy who thought school wasn’t for him until one of you refused to let him disappear. Inside that number is a child who will reach secondary school because one of you made that possible,” Olajiga said. He added that behind every statistic were individual stories of children whose lives had been transformed through the efforts of the education leaders.“A number is a room full of names. Inside 446,000 children is a girl who couldn’t see the board until one of you discovered that. Inside that number is a boy who thought school wasn’t for him until one of you refused to let him disappear. Inside that number is a child who will reach secondary school because one of you made that possible,” Olajiga said. “A number is a room full of names. Inside 446,000 children is a girl who couldn’t see the board until one of you discovered that. Inside that number is a boy who thought school wasn’t for him until one of you refused to let him disappear. Inside that number is a child who will reach secondary school because one of you made that possible,” Olajiga said.