By Adedapo Adesanya

Charterhouse Lagos, the first British independent school in Nigeria, has marked its one-year anniversary since it was established in the country.

The event was marked with a special reception held at the British Residence on Thursday, July 3, 2025; and brought together an esteemed gathering of senior educators, parents, diplomats, and cross-sector leaders to celebrate the school’s achievements over the past year.

A key moment of the evening was the announcement of the school’s next major milestone, which is the launch of its purpose-built secondary boarding school set to open in September 2025.

According to a statement shared with Business Post, the event also served as both a celebration and a reaffirmation of Charterhouse Lagos’ commitment to offering traditional Nigerian values alongside British academic excellence.

The evening featured remarks from key stakeholders, short films showcasing the Charterhouse journey so far, and thought-provoking discussions on the future of education in Nigeria.

The event concluded with a renewed sense of purpose and partnership, reinforcing Charterhouse Lagos as a beacon of UK–Nigeria educational collaboration.

Part of the prestigious Charterhouse family of schools, whose legacy dates to 1611, Charterhouse Lagos, opened its doors in September 2024, with a vibrant primary school programme, and is now set to expand significantly with the opening of its secondary school in September 2025, offering boarding for students from Year 7 upwards and full IGCSE and A Level pathways by 2026.

Speaking at the event, British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr Jonny Baxter said, “The UK and Nigeria have built a strong and enduring educational partnership over the years. Generations of Nigerian students have studied in British schools and universities, forming lifelong connections and shaping global careers.”

“UK institutions are increasingly investing in Nigeria’s future and Charterhouse School, Lagos, is another great example. By bringing world-class British education to one of Africa’s most dynamic cities, it supports the aspirations of Nigerian families and reflects the UK’s commitment to long-term collaboration and growth in the region,” he added.

On his part, the Director of Education at Charterhouse Lagos, Mr John Todd said, “This is more than a school project. We are building a learning environment that combines British rigour with Nigerian warmth, where children can grow in confidence, character, and global awareness. The response from families has been remarkable, and we are excited to begin the next phase with the secondary school.”

With an investment of over $150 million sitting on a 70-hectare campus, Charterhouse Lagos houses state of the art academic buildings, boarding houses, STEM labs, a performing arts centre, a full-size football pitch, a 25-metre swimming pool, and on-site healthcare delivered in partnership with Evercare Hospital.

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The top 81 students who will proceed to the televised stage of the renowned STEM-focused competition, the InterswitchSPAK National Science Competition, have been chosen.

The educational contest, in its seventh edition, is organised by Interswitch Group, one of Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce companies.

The 81 finalists were selected from the nationwide pre-qualifying examinations, which recorded over 18,200 student registrations, a 12.5 per cent increase in registrations from the previous year.

The two-stage pre-qualifying exam phase was held between June 17 and 27, 2025, drawing participants from thousands of secondary schools across Nigeria.

The first round tested students on core science subjects, including Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics, with the top 500 students, who scored 75 per cent and above, progressing to the second stage of the examinations, which drilled down tothe top 81 finalists.

These top 81 outstanding students, drawn from across the country, will proceed to compete in the televised InterswitchSPAK STEM quiz show, where they will battle for the top prize and the coveted title of Nigeria’s Best STEM Student. The show will air for 13 weeks across major stations nationwide in the coming weeks.

At the finale, the ultimate winner will be awarded a five-year university scholarship worth N15 million, a brand new laptop, and the bragging rights as Nigeria’s Best STEM Student.

The second prize winner will receive a four-year university scholarship and a stipend worth N10 million, along with a brand new laptop, while the third prize winner will be awarded a three-year university scholarship worth N5 million and a brand new laptop.

Speaking on the milestone, the Executive Vice President, Group Marketing and Communications for Interswitch, Ms Cherry Eromosele, expressed her excitement over the turnout of this year’s participation from students and reaffirmed Interswitch’s continued commitment to the initiative.

She said, “The quality of performance and commitment we have seen from students across the country has been nothing short of inspiring. InterswitchSPAK continues to deliver on its mission to identify and nurture the next generation of leaders in STEM, and the emergence of these 81 finalists marks a major milestone in this journey. We look forward to showcasing their brilliance duringthe televisedbroadcastas they compete not only for prizes, but for a chance to make their imprint in the sands of time.”

Now in its seventh year, InterswitchSPAK is a flagship CSR initiative of Interswitch Group to support and empower young Africans through STEM education. The programme is designed to build a pipeline of future scientists, engineers, inventors, and technology innovators who will help shape Africa’s future.

By Adedapo Adesanya

As Pearson Test of English (PTE) continues to gain increased recognition in the Nigerian market, the PTE Club has been established to remove barriers and ease access to international study and work.

The PTE Club, launched in partnership with Lu Gold Educational Consulting in Lagos, is crucial as Nigerians increasingly pursue international education, work opportunities, and seek greater global mobility.

According to Mrs Eugenia Yeboah, Business Development Specialist at Pearson’s PTE covering West Africa, the demand for reliable and efficient English language proficiency assessments have soared and one of such recognised is Pearson’s exams.

In response to this growing need, the PTE Club has emerged as a community that will help facilitate proficiency tests and help liberalise access to scholarships while promoting other opportunities for prospects and candidates.

She noted that the PTE Club which will pilot with Nigeria will be expanded to other African countries later.

“So we are hoping that we will be able to help many people in Nigeria as possible to get parts of the scholarship opportunities, we also want to assess them on their English language proficiency.”

She also revealed that Nigeria has the cheapest options available ($150) as part of strategy to make the test affordable and accessible.

On his part, Mr Lucuis Gab-Umoden, chief executive at Lu Gold EDC and founder of the PTE Club, added that the community will be beneficial to all ranging from students to teachers to companies and universities.

“The idea was to make it open to all. So students get access to scholarships, teachers get access to accreditation, and schools get access to opportunities including partnerships. This is the benefit of the PTE Club, which we are building around Pearson Test of English.”

Unlike traditional paper-based exams, PTE offers a computer-based format with rapid results, typically available in two days. The assessment evaluates all four language skills – listening, reading, speaking, and writing – in a single, integrated test, and its AI-powered scoring ensures fairness and accuracy for all test takers at all levels.

Accepted by 3500+ of universities globally, PTE exams can be taken by the Nigerian students seeking undergraduate and postgraduate programs in countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In addition to academic admissions, PTE, the English proficiency test, is recognized by the US State Boards of Nursing for work visas and by UK Higher Education Institutions for degree-level courses.