Education
Slum2School Africa Founder Shares Experience With CNN
The founder of Slum2School Africa, Mr Orondaam Otto, has had a day with CNN International for his dedication to ensuring underprivileged children in Nigeria can go to school.
In July, Mr Otto launched Nigeria’s first virtual learning classroom to help underprivileged communities across Nigeria access education during COVID-19 lockdown. So far, his initiative has reached around 1,000 children and the goal is to reach 10,000.
In a chat, he told CNN, “We believe that every Nigerian child deserves the best. This is what inspires us to do what we do…I work with volunteers across the world to provide access to quality education for children across underserved communities.”
Mr Otto has been devising innovative ways to engage students since visiting slum communities around Lagos in 2012, explaining that, “I came to realise that there were a huge number of children in these slums who weren’t going to school or who didn’t have access to education. I asked myself back then what would really give me fulfilment after completing my national youth service.”
In the interview, he explained how he was able to quickly organise and raise money, stating that, “I want people to understand that everybody can make a difference if you only believe in yourself.
“You have all the resources that you need right where you are. In about three months, I was able to get my friends together. We raised funds, and we were able to get 114 children into school for the first time.”
Buoyed by this early success, Mr Otto founded Slum2School, a social initiative that provides education and health services to disadvantaged children.
The first project was in the Makoko community in Lagos where Mr Otto focused on developing the infrastructure; fully equipping the classrooms and building an innovation lab where kids are learning computer programming and robotics.
“Our plan is to primarily ensure that every public primary school across the country has beautiful facilities like this and this is a home economics lab which is also an enterprising development centre where children can learn all kinds of skills from catering, to fashion to bead making and we’re currently working on this and building this in schools across the state,” he informed CNN.
The Makoko project is still ongoing and once complete it will become a model which can be replicated nationwide. In order to do this, Slum2School works with the government, big corporations and private donors in order to keep the organization sustainable.
An annual fundraising campaign involves over 3,000 volunteers in more than 30 different activities including walking across Lekki-Ikoyi bridge in Lagos.
CNN met Omolola Oyewloe, a lawyer who volunteered two years ago and spoke about the importance of raising funds, saying, “The first time I listened to the founder Otto on Instagram, I fell in love with the way he projected the mission of the organization.
“Growing up I had friends who could not afford school tuition and they had to go to government schools which weren’t well equipped and so bringing this initiative in and making sure every child gets the quality education they deserve is something I could easily relate with because of my friends dropping out of school growing up.”
Chairperson of Slum2School Africa, Ms Alero Ayida-Otobo, praised Mr Otto for his vision and achievements in creating change.
“Otto, in summary, has the ability to inspire. He has the ability to get you to do a lot more. He has the ability to execute and is a great strategic thinker and I actually think Slum2School is poised to change the narrative of volunteerism not just in Nigeria but in the continent of Africa,” she said.
New headquarters in Leikki will include a factory to supply uniforms, bags and equipment to local schools.
According to Mr Otto, “It’s an exciting space that’s going to really facilitate innovation, creativity, learning, in all ways. We have various amazing spaces from the innovation lab we have there, to the arts and crafts centre, where kids are going to be learning how to paint and draw and build.”
In addition to the schools Mr Otto and his team recognised that children often miss school due to illness and so they’re supporting those who require medical assistance, he said: “There’s also a huge medical program that’s been put in place to ensure that every child is not just learning but they are learning in a healthy condition. We have lots of children who need urgent medical attention to surgical interventions.”
Speaking about the impact of Slum2School Africa, Mr Otto noted that: “We’ve seen lots of our young learners and teenagers who are in secondary school or university, who started community projects, who have come together to enrol more children in their community.
“It’s inspiring seeing that ripple effect that we are creating as a community. And I think it’s fulfilling. It’s extremely fulfilling. And if I were to choose to do something again, I think I would choose this, and I think literally everyone is born to be a change maker.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, with 61.54 per cent of candidates obtaining credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
The Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Mr Amos Dangut, announced the results at a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday.
Mr Dangut said 1,200,514 candidates met the benchmark for admission to higher institutions, out of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat the examination nationwide, held between April 24 and June 19.
He said 102,708 examiners were engaged in the marking exercise held at 88 marking venues across the country between 2 July and 20 July.
“Today, I am happy to inform you that all the processes leading to the release of results have been completed. It is now my pleasure to announce the release of the results of candidates who sat the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2026 in Nigeria,” he said, directing candidates to the agency’s portal to access their results.
“UPDATE: 2026 WASSCE (SC) results have been released. Generate your PIN at waec.org and check your results now on waecdirect.org,” the examination body said, noting that candidates must obtain their Serial Number and PIN before they can check their results.
To generate the required credentials, candidates are expected to visit WAEC’s official website and select the “Serial Number and PIN” option at the top of the page.
They are then required to select the appropriate examination year and diet, enter their examination number and National Identification Number (NIN), and ensure that the NIN provided is the same one used during registration for the examination.
Candidates must also provide their email address and phone number to receive a One-Time Password (OTP).
After entering the OTP, candidates can recover their Serial Number and PIN, which they can subsequently use to check their results through WAEC Direct.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Over 200 senior students of Cleggs Girls High School, Surulere, Lagos, were on July 23, 2026, engaged in practical knowledge about the risks associated with smoking, vaping, and shisha.
This engagement was made possible through a collaboration between Breathe Life Foundation and Teach Nigeria Fellow.
Participants were students aged 15–19 years. They were also informed about the misconception that shisha is a safer alternative to cigarettes or other substances.
Through an engaging and interactive discussion, students explored the influence of peer pressure and learned practical strategies for making healthier, more informed lifestyle choices.
They also gained a better understanding of common environmental triggers of asthma and other respiratory conditions, including cigarette smoke, generator fumes, bush burning, mosquito coil smoke, candles, charcoal, and firewood.
The session highlighted an important reality: young people may not always recognise how seemingly routine lifestyle choices and environmental exposures can gradually affect their respiratory health, quality of life, and long-term wellbeing.
For Breathe Life Foundation, this reinforces the importance of shifting the conversation from treatment to prevention through awareness and education.
By equipping young people with the knowledge to identify risks and make healthier choices early, the foundation is helping to build a generation that is more conscious of – and better prepared to protect – its respiratory health.
The organisation said it is dedicated to advancing respiratory health, an often-neglected public health priority. Healthy lungs are essential to life, yet respiratory diseases remain among the world’s leading causes of death and disability, even though many are preventable and treatable.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) schemes, the Obajana Plant of Dangote Cement Plc has distributed some educational materials to some pupils in Kogi State.
The items shared to the beneficiaries included school bags, exercise books, writing materials, water bottles, and other essential learning aids aimed at enhancing the learning experience of the pupils and preparing them for the next academic session.
The General Manager for the Social Performance Department of Dangote Cement at Obajana Plant, Mr Ademola Adeyemi, said the materials were donated days after Dangote Cement distributed similar education materials to pupils in public schools in its catchment communities of Oyo, Iwaa, Obajana and Apata; and commissioned a multi-million-naira hospital in Obajana, which added to the growing list of social investments that includes an earlier hospital project in Iwaa and Oyo Communities.
He noted that, over the years, the company has invested billions of naira in a wide range of social programmes for host communities, including empowerment programmes, road construction, and potable water projects, and it remains resolute in its commitment to sustaining and expanding its interventions.
He noted that the company’s corporate social responsibility programmes are aligned with government development priorities and are implemented through sustained, mutually beneficial partnerships.
“The intervention was informed by findings from a needs assessment conducted by Dangote Cement. During the assessment, it was observed that several pupils attended school without school bags, while others carried their books by hand. It was also discovered that many students lacked essential learning materials such as exercise books, pens, pencils, and other basic learning materials,” the cement firm said.
The Head Teacher of UBE LGEA School, St. Luke Model II, Adankolo, Lokoja Local Government Area, Mr Abubakar Sanni, expressed profound appreciation to the management of Dangote Cement for the gesture.
The Head Teacher expressed gratitude to the Group President of the conglomerate, Aliko Dangote, for extending the company’s educational support programme beyond its host and impacted communities to schools located at the state headquarters.
The beneficiaries, school management, parents, and community stakeholders expressed gratitude to Dangote Cement for the timely intervention and prayed for the continued growth and success of the company in its efforts to improve lives and support sustainable community development.
