Through their EduSpark by Tomorrow’s People, Fareedah Oyolola and Ifeoluwa Onafowokan are demonstrating that leadership is not necessarily tied to age, wealth or official positions, but to the willingness to identify problems and respond to them practically.

In Nigeria, conversations about young people are mostly centred on social media trends, unemployment, migration, and economic hardship. Stories about teenagers leading organised social impact projects are less common. Yet, in Lagos, a group of secondary school students recently drew attention after carrying out an educational outreach programme for hundreds of pupils in a public primary school.

The initiative, organised under EduSpark by Tomorrow’s People, a non-governmental project, is jointly led by teenage students, Fareedah Oyolola and Ifeoluwa Onafowokan. Fareedah and Ifeoluwa are students of Greensprings Secondary School, Lagos, and both are less than 17 years old. Together with more than 30 volunteers, they donated books, writing materials, and other educational supplies to pupils at Expressway Nursery and Primary School I, Ikosi Road, Ketu, in Kosofe Local Council of Lagos State. What made the outreach stand out was its scale and the age of those behind it.

Despite the heavy rainfall on the day of the event, the students continued with the programme. Accompanied by security personnel, the volunteers, who arrived in four vehicles, distributed educational materials to over 400 pupils in the school.

According to Fareedah and Ifeoluwa, the project was inspired by their awareness that many children in public schools lack access to basic educational materials that students from more privileged backgrounds often take for granted.

Fareedah explained that the initiative stemmed from a foundation she started in 2023, known as Tomorrow’s People, adding that over time, it became a collaborative project involving Ifeoluwa and other student volunteers.

“Tomorrow’s People started as my foundation in 2023, but EduSpark has now become a shared vision between Ifeoluwa and me. We both realised that we came from privileged homes and had access to educational resources that many children do not have,” she said.

The statement reflected the central theme behind the outreach, which is the growing awareness among some young Nigerians about inequality in access to education.

Across the country, many public schools continue to face shortages of books, classroom materials, and other learning resources. In some communities, pupils still depend heavily on donations from private individuals, religious organisations, and charities. For children from low-income families, even simple learning materials such as exercise books, school bags, and writing tools can become financial burdens. This reality is one of the factors that motivated the organisers of EduSpark.

According to them, the initiative was built around the belief that educational opportunities should not be determined entirely by family income or social class.

Fareedah, who previously gained attention after becoming an international scholar at the age of 13, said her interest in social impact work increased after participating in the Rise for the World Competition, a platform encouraging young people to create practical solutions to societal problems.

According to her, the programme encouraged her to think beyond personal academic achievement.

“Our mission for this initiative is to provide much-needed educational resources to underprivileged and marginalised students across Lagos, Nigeria,” she said.

Before the outreach in Ketu, the duo had carried out a similar intervention in Okobaba community, where more than 300 children reportedly benefitted from educational support.

Co-founder of the initiative, Ifeoluwa, explained that their partnership began during a Creative Activities and Services (CAS) class project at school.

She said the experience showed the importance of collaboration among young people.

“One thing we want people to understand is that we achieve more when we work together. Partnership allows people to pool resources, ideas, and energy to create greater impact,” she said.

She described working with Fareedah on the project as one of the best decisions she had made.

At the school premises, pupils gathered as volunteers shared exercise books, pens, and other learning materials. Student volunteers worked in different capacities to ensure the materials were transported to the school and distributed successfully despite poor weather conditions.

Those involved included Sharon Ayodeji-Ojo, who served as Financial Team Lead; Lynette Hunponu-Wusu, Event Lead; Anita Ogba and Ademinitioluwa Ogunwuyi, who coordinated logistics; and Leyla Olarenwaju alongside Maimunah Salako, who handled advertisement and engagement.

Several other volunteers also participated in the project, including Aisha Odukoya, Belema Oruene, Michelle Onwubuya, Oluwapamilerinayo Osho, Tiaraoluwa Olusola-Sanni, Oluwafifehanmi Omolayole, and Kosisochukwu Ugboh.

Others included Oluwatobi Bajomo, David Amaefule, Raluolisa Chidi-Abali, Oluwabukunmi Willoughby, Ololade Agbaoye, Riritarioluwa Doherty, Oluwadabira Adedoyin, and Happiness Egede.

Others were Alvin Gbeja, Precious Sodolamu, Aderinsola Adebajo, Olivia Nurudeen, Kobi Okaro, Daniella Ozoemena, Oluwatoniloba Adeagbo, Idara Attah, and Mofehintoluwa Falola.

School authorities said the outreach was unusual, noting that they had rarely witnessed such coordination and commitment from students of secondary school age. The management of the school praised the duo for supporting children in a public school setting.

School Manager, Mr. Olurantimi Henry Ajibulu, described the initiative as impressive and emotionally touching.

“For teenagers to identify less privileged children and decide to support them voluntarily is beyond imagination. Choosing our school for this outreach is something we deeply appreciate,” he said.

Assistant School Manager, Mrs. Foluke Akinduro, also commended the students and their parents for encouraging values centred on compassion and responsibility.

“These young people are showing society that education is not only about academic success but also about impacting lives positively,” she said.

For the pupils at Expressway Nursery and Primary School, the outreach was a direct intervention that provided practical support and encouragement. Many pupils gathered around the volunteers with visible excitement as books and writing materials were distributed across classrooms. Some smiled while comparing the items they received with those of their classmates. Others quietly held onto the materials while listening to the organisers speak about education and hard work.

One of the beneficiaries, John Destiny, a Primary Four pupil, expressed appreciation to the organisers.

“I am so excited about what they have done. May God bless them and continue to help them,” he said.

The outreach also highlighted the influence of parental support in shaping socially conscious children.

Fareedah’s mother, Mrs. Rasheedah Oyolola, expressed gratitude over her daughter’s achievements and acknowledged the role played by her husband, Mr. Yusuf Oyolola, in supporting their daughter’s development.

According to her, Fareedah’s progress reflects discipline, guidance, and consistency from both family and school.

The EduSpark project reflects a growing interest among some young Nigerians in community development and volunteerism.

Rather than focusing entirely on individual achievements, the organisers attempted to direct attention towards children in underserved communities.

Fareedah’s story has particularly attracted attention because of the contrast between her academic accomplishments and her involvement in community support work.

After gaining recognition as an international scholar at the age of 13, many expected her public image to remain centred mainly on academic excellence. However, the outreach in Ketu showed another side of her interests.

Alongside her friend and co-founder, Ifeoluwa, she has continued building EduSpark as a platform focused on educational support for vulnerable children.

Both Fareedah and Ifeoluwa acknowledged that they benefitted from educational support systems unavailable to many children attending public schools. Their comments during the outreach repeatedly focused on privilege and responsibility. Rather than presenting themselves as heroes, they framed the project as an attempt to share the opportunities they had access to while growing up. Their approach reflects a growing belief that leadership is not necessarily tied to age, wealth or official positions, but to the willingness to identify problems and respond to them practically.