Like many Nigerians, Oluwasikemi Akinniyi had often found herself frustrated by the country’s education system. Too many students graduated knowing how to memorise information. However, some don’t know how to connect ideas, question assumptions or solve the problems around them. The conversations were familiar. People complained about the system, pointed out its weaknesses and wished someone would fix it.
She understood those frustrations because she shared them. Then one morning, while on her way to work, she experienced a moment she says changed everything.
“It’s time to stop complaining. Do something. Be the solution.”
She believes those words came from the Holy Spirit, and they left her with a decision to make. She could continue talking about what Nigerian students lacked, or she could begin building the kind of learning experience she wished existed.
That decision gave birth to ConnectED.
For Oluwasikemi, the initiative was never about competing with schools. It was about helping students discover something many classrooms unintentionally overlook: how to think deeply, understand complex problems and recognise that they have a role in solving them. Rather than seeing education as preparation for examinations alone, she wanted young people to see it as preparation for life.
Building a Different Kind of Classroom
Turning that conviction into reality required far more than passion.
There was no curriculum waiting to be adopted, so Oluwasikemi designed one herself. Drawing from her background in microbiology, project management, administration and audit, she created a programme that introduced secondary school students to systems thinking through real-life issues they could relate to.
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Instead of teaching theories in isolation, ConnectED asked students to examine why malaria continues to affect Nigeria despite years of intervention. They explored how healthcare, poverty, education, government policies, the environment and individual choices are connected, before asking an even more important question: Where can I make a difference?
The aim was never to produce students who simply knew more facts. It was to help them leave believing they could understand difficult problems, ask better questions and become active participants in creating solutions.
Building that experience also meant leading a team of 20 volunteers. At first, Oluwasikemi found herself trying to carry everything. She worried about every detail, stepped into tasks that belonged to others and believed she had to keep everything moving herself.
Eventually, she realised leadership meant something different. Her responsibility was not to do everyone’s work. It was to create an environment where people could do their best work, understand their roles and feel trusted enough to take ownership. Letting go became one of the most difficult and valuable lessons she learned.
When Purpose Needed Better Systems
The first edition of ConnectED made a meaningful difference for students, but Oluwasikemi knew the work behind the scenes was far from perfect.
Communication broke down at times. Some volunteers missed meetings without notice. Deadlines shifted. Responsibilities were not always clear, leaving people uncertain about what they were expected to do. The mission was strong, but the systems supporting it still needed work.
Instead of hiding those shortcomings, she documented them publicly.
She believed honesty would help future volunteers, founders and community builders avoid the same mistakes. More importantly, she learned that good intentions alone do not build sustainable organisations. Clear structures, defined roles and effective communication matter just as much as passion.
The experience also taught her another difficult lesson. People may genuinely care about your vision, but that does not always mean they are the right people to help build it at every stage. Leadership sometimes means appreciating people’s support while recognising where they can contribute most effectively.
Despite operating on a budget of about ₦320,000, ConnectED delivered an estimated ₦600,000 worth of value through volunteer expertise, donated learning materials, discounted services, community partnerships and countless hours of work that nobody was paid for. For Oluwasikemi, that was never simply about saving money. It was about being a faithful steward of every resource people entrusted to the vision.
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Helping Students See Themselves Differently
Whenever the challenges feel overwhelming, Oluwasikemi remembers a moment that reminded her why the work matters.
After one workshop, a student approached her and quietly said, “I always thought I was dumb. Thank you.”
That single sentence captured everything ConnectED hopes to achieve.
The programme is not simply teaching systems thinking. It is helping young people see themselves differently. It is encouraging them to ask questions without fear, connect knowledge across subjects and believe they can contribute meaningfully to solving the challenges facing their communities.
Looking ahead, Oluwasikemi hopes to expand ConnectED through more student workshops, teacher training, digital learning tools and stronger partnerships that can bring systems thinking into more schools across Nigeria. Her vision is not just to improve education but to help shape a generation of young people who enter government, healthcare, business and every other sector believing they are capable of solving problems rather than simply living with them.
For anyone carrying an idea they have been afraid to pursue, her advice is simple: start before everything is perfect. Build with what you have, stay rooted in your purpose and allow each lesson, whether success or failure, to make the work stronger.
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