AltBank, BAF Support Teachers as Nigeria’s Classroom Crisis Deepens
By The People’s Voice Nigeria News
The Alternative Bank (AltBank) has partnered with the Busayo Ademuyiwa Foundation (BAF) to support frontline teachers amid Nigeria’s worsening education crisis, marked by teacher shortages, burnout and inadequate access to modern teaching tools.
The partnership resulted in the 2025 BAF Teachers’ Conference, a one-day capacity-building programme held in Lagos, which brought together hundreds of primary and secondary school teachers drawn from underserved communities across Nigeria.
Education experts have repeatedly warned that Nigeria’s learning crisis is reaching a critical point, with many classrooms particularly in rural and low-income areas lacking trained educators and basic teaching resources. Analysts say the trend poses long-term risks to national productivity and social stability if not urgently addressed.
Unlike conventional education summits focused largely on policy discussions, the conference prioritised practical classroom solutions. Sessions covered teacher mental health and resilience, low-cost classroom innovation, inclusive teaching methods and digital skills adaptable to low-resource environments.
Speaking at the event, Korede Demola-Adeniyi, Executive Director (South) at The Alternative Bank, said the initiative was designed to provide concrete support to educators working under difficult conditions.
“The people who hold up Nigeria’s education system don’t need applause, they need backup. Supporting teachers with practical tools remains one of the most effective ways to strengthen long-term national productivity,” he said.
The conference attracted a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, school administrators and corporate social responsibility (CSR) leaders, highlighting increasing private-sector involvement in addressing gaps within Nigeria’s education system.
Among the speakers were Comrade Audu Titus Amba, President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT); Doyinsola Jawando-Adebomehin of Sequoia Span; Anthony Amawe, General Manager of BIC Nigeria; and Dr Hope Ifeyinwa Nwakwesi, Founder of Almanah Hope Foundation.
Organisers described the engagement as part of a broader effort to shift attention from awareness to execution in Nigeria’s education sector.
The initiative aligns with AltBank’s HEART Strategy, which focuses on long-term investments in Health, Education, Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Technology. The bank says the framework is designed to channel capital and partnerships into areas with measurable social impact.
Beyond education, AltBank recently partnered with Utiva to launch a Women in Tech Scholarship, aimed at equipping women entrepreneurs in rural and peri-urban communities with digital and business skills.
According to Demola-Adeniyi, private-sector interventions must be outcome-driven to make a meaningful difference.
“The challenge is no longer awareness but execution. Our focus is on identifying pressure points, injecting support where it can change outcomes, and backing it with measurable value,” he said.
Education stakeholders at the event described the 2025 BAF Teachers’ Conference as a practical model for grassroots intervention, blending teacher development, community engagement and private-sector support at a time when Nigeria’s education system faces increasing strain.
