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I’m always grateful for the opportunity to share our story. Today, KEY academy is what many describe as a modern-day village - with our team, partners, parents, and cheerleaders all playing an active role in shaping what we’re building. But it didn’t begin this way.

In 2013, I moved to Lagos, Nigeria, after growing up in social housing in London, UK. I had built a successful career in finance that spanned over a decade, but everything shifted in 2016 when my husband and I decided to start a family, and I took a career break. This pause gave me the space to reflect - not just on my career, but on my upbringing and what kind of future I wanted for my children.

I realised that my story was in many ways the stereotypical first-generation immigrant story - an intense focus on exams, qualifications, and stability, often at the expense of curiosity, creativity, and joy. The goal was always to get to the “next level” - a good job, security, and respectability. But I wanted more for my children. I wanted them to develop a love of learning, to be encouraged to follow their passions, and to grow into socially conscious global citizens, right here in Nigeria.

This personal conviction led me on a deep journey into 21st-century project-based education. I immersed myself in research, studying project-based learning approaches in places like Finland, Japan, Indonesia, and the United States. I also explored pre-colonial education systems here in Nigeria and was fascinated to find strong parallels between our traditional apprenticeship models and modern progressive learning philosophies. Both championed learning by doing, collaboration, and real-world problem-solving.

Excited by these insights, I searched for schools in Lagos that embraced this type of learning, but came up short. The more I looked, the more it became clear that if I wanted this kind of education for my children, I would likely have to homeschool them.

Still determined, I kept researching and connected with global educators in the alternative education space. Around this time, I co-founded a preschool and after-school learning centre focused on 21st-century skills. It gave me a clearer understanding of what was possible when learning was rooted in curiosity and creativity. Speaking with other parents in Lagos who faced similar frustrations, I began to consider starting an educational think tank to influence policy and curriculum reform across Nigeria.

But I soon realised that theory alone wouldn’t be enough. If I was serious about reimagining education in Nigeria, I needed to build a practical model - a place where ideas could be tested, refined, and demonstrated. A school that could inspire parents, train teachers, and engage policymakers.

So, after countless conversations with family, mentors, and myself, and despite feeling completely under-qualified, I took the leap. In 2018, I founded KEY (Keep Educating Yourself) academy, a social enterprise with a bold mission to revolutionise education in Nigeria. Our model school opened its doors in September 2019, and we’ve been expanding ever since. We now serve children from 18 months old, with plans to grow all the way to 18 years - we’re currently working toward launching our secondary school and innovation campus which is set to open in September 2027.

At KEY academy, we blend play-based learning in the early years with project-based learning as children grow. Our curriculum balances core academic skills like numeracy and literacy with higher-order skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, and real-world application. We’re also building global partnerships to ensure a smooth pathway from KEY academy to top Universities and opportunities around the world.

But KEY academy has always been about more than just one school, or even building 100 schools. In a country of over 200 million with chronic challenges in the education sector, this would not make a dent. Instead, our long-term vision is to democratise access to 21st-century, project-based learning across Nigeria by helping existing schools, especially in underserved communities. We’re doing this through our broader initiatives in nationwide teacher training, events, books, digital content, resources and, ultimately, through policy advocacy. For me, this mission is personal. While growing up in an underserved community in the UK presented many challenges, I at least had a visible path to social mobility. That same ladder doesn’t exist for millions of children in Nigeria today, and I want to be a part of changing this.
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As a fellow parent, I understand that many of you reading this might be new to the concept of 21st-century, project-based learning and it might sound too radical or “out there”, but I encourage you to keep an open mind. Please take some time to read our in-depth, research-backed report on project-based learning, browse through our blog posts, and visit our social media channels to see our learning in action.

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  The truth is, the global education system we still rely on was designed in the 1890s for a world shaped by the Industrial Revolution. Today, our children face entirely different challenges - AI, automation, climate change, and an ever-evolving global economy. I think we need an educational approach which helps arm our children with the skills they will need to thrive in this new world, and I look forward to partnering with you on this journey!

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