Marking Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day, The Adunni Foundation today launched the Basic Education Torchbearers Awards (BETA), a new national initiative designed to celebrate the nation’s heroes in basic education.
The inaugural ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at NECA Main Hall, Alausa, Lagos.
The event will feature a keynote address from Professor Michael Omolewa, a renowned Professor of Education and former Nigerian Ambassador to UNESCO, who will speak on the theme: “Education is True Independence.”
The launch of BETA today is deliberate, underscoring the foundation’s belief that while Nigeria gained political freedom in 1960, “true independence will only be secured when every child has access to quality basic education,” according to Motunrayo Adunni Famuyiwa-Alaka, Founder and Initiator of The Adunni Foundation.
BETA thus reframes Independence Day as a critical moment to reflect on education as a foundational freedom and to honour the individuals and institutions who have made learning possible.
The inaugural awards will spotlight both celebrated and unsung figures whose sacrifices, vision, and leadership have shaped Nigeria’s basic learning journey.
Award categories are broad, ranging from BETA Hero (Posthumous) for pioneers and Torchbearer Educator of Legacy for retired educators, to recognitions for community champions, institutions, and high-performing students with the BETA Most Brilliant Student Award.
The 2025 event will not only include the awards presentation but will also feature Hope Nigeria Talks, a segment where schoolchildren will reflect and dialogue on their aspirations for the future of education and civic values. The Foundation will also use the platform to unveil Edupendent: Education is Independence, its flagship intervention aimed at transformative education.
The BETA initiative aligns directly with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), while also supporting goals related to poverty reduction, gender equality, and building strong institutions.
The Adunni Foundation, chaired by Dr. Yele Okeremi, Founder and CEO of Precise Financial Systems (PFS), is actively inviting partners and sponsors to support the initiative through financial contributions or in-kind support across platinum, gold, silver, or bronze partnership tiers. Organisations interested in supporting basic education through BETA can contact the Secretariat for visibility and partnership details.