A rapidly expanding platform dedicated to teachers’ wellbeing, Connect One has launched a series of innovative support programmes to empower teachers.
These include interest-free loans, health insurance access, scholarships, grants, and discount-based commodity purchase plans aimed at empowering educators nationwide.
During the Lagos State Educators’ 20th Anniversary celebration organised by the Nigeria Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), with the theme ‘Education for Sustainable Development: A Technology-Driven, Innovative, and Inclusive Approach’, Connect One’s Managing Director, Dipo Oke, emphasised the platform’s significant strides toward addressing teachers’ welfare needs.
Oke highlighted that the platform’s comprehensive approach underscored a steadfast commitment to elevating teachers’ lives, recognising their pivotal role in shaping Nigeria’s future and fostering societal growth through empowered educators.
Project Lead, Olusola Odey, described Connect One as a lifeline for educators, noting that it caters not only to classroom teachers but also to non-teaching staff across Nigeria’s education sector.
“This is more than a welfare platform; it’s a support system. When teachers have access to basic needs like finance, healthcare, and empowerment, they can perform at their best. We’ve expanded operations to Ogun and Ondo states, with plans to scale across Nigeria and into other African countries,” Odey said.
At the event, eight teachers received advance salaries, fulfilling promises made during a previous teachers’ conference in Agege. Beyond cash support, partners like Flour Mills of Nigeria donated food packages, including rice, pasta, sugar, and grains, further demonstrating the platform’s commitment to holistic support.
Isoken Bassey, a school proprietress introduced to Connect One at a recent Badagry conference, shared her enthusiasm: “I came across Connect One three months ago, and it has been a game-changer. Teachers now access commodities on flexible payment plans, health packages, and empowerment schemes. This support is long overdue.”
The event also featured praise from the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Dr Ronke Soyombo, who commended NAPPS for celebrating teachers and sharing best practices.
She expressed pride in the ongoing reforms under the current government, including curriculum review and technological advancements aimed at improving education quality.
“We have streamlined the curriculum to be more beneficial for students, and technology is playing a central role,” Soyombo noted.
She highlighted the digitisation of teacher certification processes, teachers can now register online, receive results within a week, and print certificates from home, marking a significant leap forward.
“TRCN is also developing standardised lesson plans and launching an AI-driven platform to ensure consistency across Nigeria’s diverse regions. Our goal is to make teaching a respected and professional career, with accessible resources and communities of practice for teachers nationwide,” she added.
TRCN’s vision extends to comprehensive digitalisation covering registration, certification, professional development, and classroom resources, aimed at elevating teachers’ impact and Nigeria’s educational standards.
“Real change happens when teachers are supported and recognised as professionals,” she said.
Meanwhile, President Emeritus of NAPPS, Wassu Adunmadeyi, underscored Teachers’ Day’s evolving significance from mere celebration to tangible empowerment.
“Teachers’ sacrifices must be recognised through health insurance, flexible payment options, and subsidised vehicle ownership. Aligning policy reforms and technological integration across both public and private sectors is vital to ensuring no Nigerian teacher is left behind in this era of AI and global competition,” he said.
