Contact info
Phone
- +234 (1) 4540530
- info@ edford.org
Our Address
7th Floor
Mulliner Towers
39 Alfred Rewane Road
Ikoyi, Lagos
Nigeria
About EDFord
EdFord (Education Forward) was established on the back of significantly high levels of inequalities in education in Nigeria.
At EdFord, we recognise that no meaningful development can be achieved without prioritising education. Our vision, therefore, is to bring Education Forward as a forerunner to sustainable development in Nigeria and Africa at large. To achieve this, we strive to minimise or eradicate the gaps in access to education for deprived students by facilitating technology-driven catch-up learning programmes. We also work to reinforce the employability of higher education students and fresh graduates through our diaspora knowledge transfer and mentorship programme.
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- Vision
The Vision of EdFord is to bring Education Forward as an impetus to help break the cycle of poverty and achieve sustainable development in Nigeria.
- Mission
Our mission is to tackle inequalities in education and minimize the unfortunate waste of talents among economically disadvantaged and underserved children (with no access to relevant educational provisions). We do this by broadening access to e-learning opportunities and mentors.
Introduction
Toju Ogbe,
Co-founder,
Education Forward.
WELCOME TO EDFORD PILOT PROJECT
We are delighted to introduce EdFord Pilot Project, which is a three week learning and mentoring scheme for a select cohort of students funded by online learning platform – HESED Learning.This pilot phase is designed to inspire students to think creatively and apply their talents to a digital project. They will be mentored by various experts drawn from a cross section of disciplines, especially in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subject areas. They will also spend some time doing catch-up learning on the HESED learning platform.
EdFord (Education Forward) was established on the back of very high levels of inequalities in education in Nigeria. At EdFord, we recognise that no meaningful development can be achieved without prioritising education. Our vision, therefore, is to bring Education Forward as a forerunner to sustainable future development in Nigeria and Africa at large. To achieve this, we strive to minimise or eradicate the gaps in access to education for deprived students by facilitating technology-driven catch- up learning programmes. We also work to reinforce
graduates through our diaspora knowledge transfer and mentorship programme.
On behalf of the EdFord team, I would like to welcome our cohort of students, lead teachers, mentors, HESED foundation for a programme that will impact millions of lives in the years ahead.
Participating Schools
Six public secondary schools have been selected to participate in the Pilot. These are:
20 students from each school will be participating in the programme. The schools will provide a well-lit hall for the students and at least one contact teacher to facilitate the smooth preparation and running of the programme.
MENTEES
Participating students shall be in senior secondary school classes with flair for sciences. It is important that gender parity should be ensured and 20% slot of the participants should be allocated to students with disability, where applicable.
PROGRAMME COORDINATOR
Programme Coordinators are responsible for organising relevant logistics and engaging with all stakeholders to ensure that the programme is implemented smoothly. The coordinators are:
- Emmanuel Okoruwa – 07066986709, Abuja.
- Miss Nwanneka Okonkwo – 09022740794, Lagos
- Mr Sunday Dallam – 08028818361, Kaduna
- Miss Benita Echefu – 07064386033 – Rivers
MENTORS
Mentors are professionals drawn from a variety of disciplines to work the students, inspire and enthuse them. Some mentors will guide students through the digital competency project, while others will inspire them in different career and further study opportunities.
LEAD TEACHERS
The Lead Teachers are drawn from participating schools. They will coordinate the students, ensuring that they arrive promptly for all sessions and their parents are duly informed. It also the responsibility of the Lead Teacher to ensure that the venue is ready for the programme.
Programme Schedule
Mentors Profile
ENGR. EME OGBE
Eme Ogbe is a chartered process engineer with over 15 years design experience in Oil & Gas Processing, Petrochemicals and Utilities. She has worked on multi billion dollar projects with major global corporations including ExxonMobil, Total, Kuwait Oil Company, Saudi Aramco, and Nigeria LNG among others. Eme has a master’s degree in Chemical Process Engineering from University College London.
DR SEUN KOLADE
Seun is an Associate Professor/Reader in Entrepreneurship and International Development at De Montfort University (DMU), Leicester UK where he also leads the African Entrepreneurship Cluster. His research activities cover the broad areas of transformative entrepreneuring, digital transformation, spiritual capital, social capital, and SME strategies in turbulent environments. Dr Kolade runs a series of Enterprise Boot Camps for aspiring and nascent entrepreneurs in Nigeria, supported by De Montfort University. He has also served as an advisor for several SMEs, worked as a consultant for British Council and is a member of the UN expert group on operationalisation of social capital in situations of forced displacement. Dr Kolade has authored more than 50 academic outputs, including articles in reputable international journals, book chapters, refereed conference papers, and reports. He is currently leading two funded projects investigating entrepreneurship among forcibly displaced peoples, and the recovery strategies and outcomes of minority micro-enterprises in the UK. He is the lead editor of the Palgrave Handbook of African Entrepreneurship (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021).
DR. YEMI ADENIJI
Yemi had her primary and secondary education in Jos and Ondo state Nigeria before moving to Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ife for her Medical degree. Graduating as a doctor in 2004, she worked in Ilesha for about a year before moving to the UK where she had further training and now works as a General Practitioner.
MR. IYI TUBI
lyi aged 31, is a visual effect specialist. He has been working in the visual effects field for over 10 years. He has undertaken many big-name movie protects in the course of his career.
MR PETER ONAH THOMPSON
Peter grew up in Kaduna and had his early education at LEA Maiduguri Road, Kaduna. His first and second degrees are from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Not allowed to be limited by his humble beginning, his academic exploits propelled him to do graduate studies in the United States. In 2015, he was the recipient of the prestigious global leadership award by Appalachian State University. Peter is presently a doctoral candidate in the Department of Public Policy, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA, where he is involved in many high-level research supported by both the National Science Foundation and the Minerva Research Initiative of the United States. Apart from his works being published in highly acclaimed international journals, he has also presented his research in conferences in universities in the United States and Europe. One way Peter remains connected to his roots in Nigeria is to mentor students from Nigeria who show promise on how to get admitted into their dream universities.
MR TEMITOPE ROLAND ALADEMEHIN
Temitope is a Software Engineer with a multinational company. Temitope holds a Bachelor's degree in Physics from the Federal University of Technology, Akure and a master's degree In Artificial Intelligence from The University of Hertfordshire, UK. He's well-versed in several software tools such as Python, Java, JavaScript, SQL, HTML/CSS, among others. He possesses a wide range of expertise in trending technologies such as data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and application development.
MR MICHAEL TOYINBO
Michael obtained a BSc in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria. Michael is a consummate Banker with years of experience in the Banking, Consumer Goods and Energy industries. With over four years in Data ETL, Analysis, Reporting, and Market Strategy across the sectors, he has worked with various teams to analyze business processes, provide real-time insights, and identify opportunities to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Michael cherishes leadership, ownership and integrity as a value. Over time, Michael has led many successful projects to improve efficiency, reduce costs and simplify operations.
About the Sponsor
HESED is a digital learning platform that provides quality tuition to students (ages 13+) in a safe online environment. We combine expert online education with proven learning techniques to provide high-quality and world-class learning materials. HESED learning material is available on desktop or laptop, tablets, and smartphones.
MATTHEW ODU
Matthew Odu is the CEO of HESED Learning and Development Limited. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria with practice experience in Nigeria and the UK. His academic background includes a bachelor’s degree in sociology and an MA in Taxation. Matthew is a Rotarian and Chairman of the Youth Activities Committee of the Rotary Club of Hounslow, London. He is Trustee and Treasurer of the Commonwealth Countries League
What we do
According to UNICEF, one in every five out-of-school children in the world live in Nigeria. This staggering statistic is indicative of the severe gap in the Nigerian social and education system. COVID 19 has further exacerbated education inequalities and access for the economically deprived in the country. The adoption of online teaching and learning solutions has reinforced access to education opportunities for many pupils globally. Unfortunately, a vast majority of pupils in Nigeria still lack access to technology-driven learning solutions, which has become a necessity rather than a luxury in a fast-changing post Covid world. In 2021, EdFord Scholars Programme was established against the backdrop of glum education reality in Nigeria to support economically disadvantaged students. The pilot EdFord Scholars Programme was a four-week learning and mentoring scheme for a select cohort of students from deprived areas of FCT, Kaduna, Lagos, and Rivers states in Nigeria. During the pilot, students were introduced to HESED online learning platform, which gave them the privilege of catch-up learning. The pilot was also designed to inspire students to think creatively and apply their talents to a digital project. They were mentored by a range of experts drawn from a cross section of disciplines, especially in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subject areas. At the end of the pilot programme, students emerged with basic information technology skills, and worked in teams to build websites for their schools. EdFord Scholars Programme 2021 was supported by HESED Learning.
- Vision
The Vision of EdFord is to bring Education Forward as an impetus to help break the cycle of poverty and achieve sustainable development in Nigeria.
- Mission
Our mission is to tackle inequalities in education and minimize the unfortunate waste of talents among economically disadvantaged and underserved children (with no access to relevant educational provisions). We do this by broadening access to e-learning opportunities and mentors.
Our Mentors
ENGR. EME OGBE
Eme Ogbe is a chartered process engineer with over 15 years design experience in Oil & Gas Processing, Petrochemicals and Utilities. She has worked on multi billion dollar projects with major global corporations including ExxonMobil, Total, Kuwait Oil Company, Saudi Aramco, and Nigeria LNG among others. Eme has a master’s degree in Chemical Process Engineering from University College London.
DR SEUN KOLADE
Seun is an Associate Professor/Reader in Entrepreneurship and International Development at De Montfort University (DMU), Leicester UK where he also leads the African Entrepreneurship Cluster. His research activities cover the broad areas of transformative entrepreneuring, digital transformation, spiritual capital, social capital, and SME strategies in turbulent environments. Dr Kolade runs a series of Enterprise Boot Camps for aspiring and nascent entrepreneurs in Nigeria, supported by De Montfort University. He has also served as an advisor for several SMEs, worked as a consultant for British Council and is a member of the UN expert group on operationalisation of social capital in situations of forced displacement. Dr Kolade has authored more than 50 academic outputs, including articles in reputable international journals, book chapters, refereed conference papers, and reports. He is currently leading two funded projects investigating entrepreneurship among forcibly displaced peoples, and the recovery strategies and outcomes of minority micro-enterprises in the UK. He is the lead editor of the Palgrave Handbook of African Entrepreneurship (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021).
DR. YEMI ADENIJI
Yemi had her primary and secondary education in Jos and Ondo state Nigeria before moving to Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ife for her Medical degree. Graduating as a doctor in 2004, she worked in Ilesha for about a year before moving to the UK where she had further training and now works as a General Practitioner.
MR. IYI TUBI
lyi aged 31, is a visual effect specialist. He has been working in the visual effects field for over 10 years. He has undertaken many big-name movie protects in the course of his career.
MR PETER ONAH THOMPSON
Peter grew up in Kaduna and had his early education at LEA Maiduguri Road, Kaduna. His first and second degrees are from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Not allowed to be limited by his humble beginning, his academic exploits propelled him to do graduate studies in the United States. In 2015, he was the recipient of the prestigious global leadership award by Appalachian State University. Peter is presently a doctoral candidate in the Department of Public Policy, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA, where he is involved in many high-level research supported by both the National Science Foundation and the Minerva Research Initiative of the United States. Apart from his works being published in highly acclaimed international journals, he has also presented his research in conferences in universities in the United States and Europe. One way Peter remains connected to his roots in Nigeria is to mentor students from Nigeria who show promise on how to get admitted into their dream universities.
MR TEMITOPE ROLAND ALADEMEHIN
Temitope is a Software Engineer with a multinational company. Temitope holds a Bachelor's degree in Physics from the Federal University of Technology, Akure and a master's degree In Artificial Intelligence from The University of Hertfordshire, UK. He's well-versed in several software tools such as Python, Java, JavaScript, SQL, HTML/CSS, among others. He possesses a wide range of expertise in trending technologies such as data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and application development.
MR MICHAEL TOYINBO
Michael obtained a BSc in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria. Michael is a consummate Banker with years of experience in the Banking, Consumer Goods and Energy industries. With over four years in Data ETL, Analysis, Reporting, and Market Strategy across the sectors, he has worked with various teams to analyze business processes, provide real-time insights, and identify opportunities to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Michael cherishes leadership, ownership and integrity as a value. Over time, Michael has led many successful projects to improve efficiency, reduce costs and simplify operations.
Trustees
MR. TOJU OGBE
DR. KOLA KOLADE
MR. MATTHEW ODU
.
About EDFord
EdFord (Education Forward) was established on the back of significantly high levels of inequalities in education in Nigeria. At EdFord, we recognise that no meaningful development can be achieved without prioritising education. Our vision, therefore, is to bring Education Forward as a forerunner to sustainable development in Nigeria and Africa at large. To achieve this, we strive to minimise or eradicate the gaps in access to education for deprived students by facilitating technology-driven catch-up learning programmes. We also work to reinforce the employability of higher education students and fresh graduates through our diaspora knowledge transfer and mentorship programme.
Vision
The Vision of EdFord is to bring Education Forward as an impetus to help break the cycle of poverty and achieve sustainable development in Nigeria.
Mission
Our mission is to tackle inequalities in education and minimize the unfortunate waste of talents among economically disadvantaged and underserved children (with no access to relevant educational provisions). We do this by broadening access to e-learning opportunities and mentors.