Edukate Africa has announced plans to host a high-level summit aimed at addressing the growing challenges of education financing, skills mismatch, and youth unemployment in Nigeria.
The Director of Edukate Africa, Francis Omorojie, revealed the plans at a press briefing in Lagos, saying the summit is scheduled for January 29, 2026, at the University of Lagos.
Omorojie said the summit was conceived to tackle the financial barriers that force many students to drop out of tertiary institutions. He explained that many students are unable to continue their studies due to the inability to pay tuition fees and other school-related expenses.
Edukate Africa is an education and talent development platform that aims to make education more accessible through technology-driven and sustainable financing models.
The summit will bring together key stakeholders including government agencies, academic institutions, financial organisations, the private sector, and philanthropists. The goal is to rethink education funding and ensure university curricula align with the demands of today’s job market.
Omorojie highlighted the widening gap between university training and workplace requirements, especially in the age of digital transformation and artificial intelligence.
“The future of work is already here, yet many graduates are leaving school without the skills required for today’s economy,” he said.
The summit is being organised in partnership with the University of Birmingham and the University of Lagos, with support from the Federal Ministry of Education.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Mamud Tunji Alausa, is expected to attend as the Guest of Honour and lead the opening ministerial roundtable.
Omorojie also announced the launch of the CommUniversity Endowment Fund, a community-led initiative designed to support vulnerable students and provide seed funding for student-led businesses through sustainable investment models.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.
