The Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International (COFI) has marked a significant milestone while celebrating 10 years of its scholarship initiative, which has been instrumental in expanding access to quality education for deserving students across Nigeria and beyond.
 
At a  press conference to mark the anniversary, the foundation’s leaders and stakeholders gathered to reflect on the past decade’s achievements and outline plans for future growth and development. 
 
Chairman, Board of Trustees, COFI, Tom Amenkhienan,, emphasised the foundation’s commitment to accountability, strategic growth, and transparency.
 
“Ten years ago, we launched a vision; today we present verifiable impact, documented outcomes, and a clear roadmap proving education remains the strongest instrument for generational transformation…”
 
“Our scholarship beneficiaries were enrolled as young children, sponsored through primary, secondary, and university education. Today, they are graduates, gainfully employed, and meaningfully contributing to society and national development,” Amenkhienan added.
 
Amenkhienan highlighted the foundation’s achievements, citing the impact report presented at the event, which detailed the foundation’s outcomes, governance structures, sustainability mechanisms, and future expansion plans across Nigeria and beyond in Africa.
 
Director, Corporate Affairs of COFI,   Dr Ifeoma Chiemeka,, stressed the foundation’s faith-based commitment to giving back to society by empowering individuals to reach their full potential through quality education and opportunities.
 
“Beneficiaries received exceptional education and are encouraged to apply their creativity, proving their capacity to achieve extraordinary feats, including building a locally assembled vehicle in spite of limited manufacturing structures,” Chiemeka said. 

“They went from kids to kings, demonstrating that with faith, opportunity, and determination, dreams are achievable. Over the past decade, graduates across disciplines have excelled, proving greater accomplishments remain ahead.”
 
The event also featured a public lecture delivered by Prof. Chukwuemeka Eke, who spoke on the theme, “Reshaping the Educational Ecosystem: Reforming Curricula and Empowering Educators to Build our Societies and Nation”.
 
Eke described education as not merely a sector, but the engine of national destiny, emphasising that discussions about curriculum and teachers ultimately concern the future architecture of society.
   
“Curriculum reform and teacher empowerment are inseparable,” Eke said, urging investment in digital fluency, critical thinking, and professional dignity to transform classrooms into innovation laboratories driving sustainable national development.
 
Eke stressed that education is the engine of national destiny, and aligning curriculum with reality and empowering educators with competence and dignity will unlock innovation, reduce unemployment, and secure sustainable prosperity.
   
Nutritional and Pharmacological Biochemist at the University of Lagos ( UNILAG), Prof Ngozi Imaga said there is an urgent need  to improve the learning environment through intentional study approaches and a dynamic shift in classroom engagement strategies.
 
“True learning thrives when students intentionally pursue courses that align with their passions, transforming classrooms into vibrant spaces of engagement, critical thinking, and meaningful academic and personal growth,” Imaga stated.
 
The COFI scholarship Initiative has made significant strides in expanding access to quality education, and with plans for future growth and development, the foundation is poised to continue making a lasting impact on the lives of deserving students.