Building a free school in Nigeria is more than an education project — it is an emotional, financial, and deeply human commitment.
From feeding programs and staffing challenges to burnout and long-term sustainability, the realities behind the mission are often far more complex than people imagine.
In this honest reflection, Aramide Kayode shares five hard-earned lessons from the frontlines of running a free school — insights every education founder, nonprofit leader, and social impact builder should read.
“Here are 5 things I wish I knew before starting a FREE school in Nigeria 🇳🇬
1️⃣ Running a free school is incredibly demanding. The workload is a lot. I wish someone had told me early to take it one step at a time instead of trying to carry everything at once.
2️⃣ A hungry child cannot learn. It took a drop in attendance, lower engagement and kids showing up sick before I understood this. I would have built in a feeding program from day one.
3️⃣ Academics alone is not enough. I wish I had fully woven in vocational, entrepreneurship and employability programs from the start. Education has to prepare children for life, not just exams.
4️⃣ Human capital is everything. The most important input in this work is not money or infrastructure. It is people. The right people coming in early means everything!
5️⃣ You do not have to have it all figured out. You can build structures one step at a time. And sometimes, the most responsible thing you can do is rest.
Save this and share with anyone thinking of starting an education nonprofit.”
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