Vision
A world where children, no matter their background have access to quality education to thrive and succeed.
ABOUT SEED
Because Nigeria is
facing a huge education CRISIS.
Quality Education for Every Child — No Matter the School They Attend.
Half of Nigeria's 200 million+ people are under 19 years. Many lack access to quality education. 20 million+ are out-of-school. 70% experiencing learning poverty. Evidence confirms that affordable non-state sector (low-fee private schools, faith-based schools, alternative learning centres, etc) play an indispensable role in expanding access to education and improving learning outcomes, particularly in low-income communities, with considerable equity & economic dividends. Despite these, the sector is not fully supported in playing a complementary role to tackle these challenges towards achieving Nigeria's national education goals and SDG4. In Lagos State, our live learning lab, non-state schools outnumber state provision 22:1. About 70% of the non-state schools are affordable non-state schools providing education for underserved children.
SEED [Sustainable Education & Enterprise Development] was founded in 2016 as a social impact project of W-Holistic Business Solutions. In 2022, it evolved and was fully registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission as SEED Care & Support Foundation, a non-profit in Nigeria. SEED is a member of the Nigerian Network of NGOs (NNNGOs), Global Schools Forum (GSF), Education Finance Network (EFN), Leading Change Network (LCN) and the National Coalition of Non-State Schools in Nigeria. Since our founding, SEED has evolved from grassroots service delivery into a backbone institution supporting education reform by shaping policy, convening diverse stakeholders, and strengthening the conditions required for lasting systems change. Our work is grounded in deep partnerships with affordable non-state schools, communities, and government actors, and informed by evidence, learning, and lived realities from the frontline of Nigeria’s education system.
Today, SEED plays a catalytic role in national and state education reform efforts, stewarding coalitions, facilitating public consultation, and supporting the translation of policy intent into implementation within the non-state education ecosystem.
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Mission
To strengthen the affordable non-state education sector through systems research, systems influence, and systems strengthening, enabling equitable and accountable education delivery at scale.
Our Role In The Affordable Non-State Education System
What sets SEED apart is not scale of programmes but depth of influence. This allows us to support reforms that are credible, inclusive, and implementable. SEED plays three interconnected roles:
System Steward
We support education reform not by scaling programmes, but by strengthening the systems that sustain them. We steward institutional memory across reform cycles, coalitions, learning processes & implementation pathways that ensure reforms are coherent, evidence-informed & implementable.
Bridge Builder
We are a trusted intermediary between government, schools, associations, coalitions, civil society & partners by translating priorities, aligning incentives & enabling collaboration across traditionally fragmented actors. We carry lived realities into rooms where decisions are made, with credibility & care.
Learning Backbone
We design and steward public-good learning assets (frameworks, tools, learning briefs, market intelligence, convenings that prioritise learning, policy briefs, reflection papers, amongst others) that help the system improve itself over time. Learning is not an output of our work. It is the work itself.
Our Values
H
Humility
We humbly serve and show up for the sector. We know we do not have the answers upfront but we are curious and genuinely interested in what we do not know. We are humble, we are kind but we are also BOLD and we SPEAK UP.
O
Openness
We collaborate, listen, learn, adapt, and continuously improve towards driving change, innovation and growth. We do this leaning on data and informed by evidence. We are constantly co-creating and openly sharing what we are learning.
P
Purpose
We are purpose-driven united by a shared vision and mission. We are committed to impact and excellence. We strongly believe in “UBUNTU” – ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’. Our foundation is built with trust and integrity.
E
Empathy
We make sure to “walk-in-the-shoes” of those we serve in driving change and finding innovative solutions. We always engage and listen to our stakeholders, giving them a voice. We know we can go faster and further, together.
What education system actors
are saying about our work.
Hear from government, donors, associations, schools, teachers, parents and the children we serve.
Joining the SEED Community in 2018 has been a game changer. With the SEED School Transformation Program, my school has moved from being a mushroom school to a standard school in my community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we benefitted from the palliative support for my family, staff & parents. Our pupils have also benefited from SEED partner programs such as the STEMMETS/Airbus Foundation program.
Opeyemi Olatunji
Proprietor, Gleam Stars Schools, Amukoko Lagos.
The work SEED does is impressive and inspiring. They've made great strides in advocating for better education policies, providing teacher trainings to improve classroom practices, and supporting low-fee private schools to provide quality education... All towards building a brighter future for all children in Nigeria. AFED and other school associations in Nigeria have felt the real impact of SEED's vision and mission.
Hon. Orji Kanu
National President, Association of Formidable Educational Development (AFED)
SEED received Technical Assistance from DEEPEN to design business development trainings for 51 low-cost private schools in Lagos, Nigeria. SEED implemented exceptionally, further organised an Access to Finance Clinic for over 300 low-cost private schools and participated the DEEPEN Dissemination Events in Kano & Ogun States. Thank you SEED for continuing to support these schools even after the DEEPEN project closed out.
Dr. Gboyega Ilusanya
[Former] Team Lead, Developing Effective Private Education Nigeria (DEEPEN)
I worked with SEED as part of the DEEPEN programme, which aimed to improve the quality and sustainability of low-cost schools in Lagos. The team designed and delivered a low-cost training programme for school proprietors. The trainers were knowledgeable and professional and had a good understanding of the challenges faced by low cost school proprietors. I look forward to seeing the continuing impact SEED will have!
Nadia Weigh
[Former] Intervention Leader- Finance, Developing Effective Private Education in Nigeria (DEEPEN)
SEED received an award for contributing to improving learning outcomes in private schools, especially for children from low-income households in Nigeria from Developing Effective Private Education Nigeria (DEEPEN).
DEEPEN was a five-year programme funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) [now FCDO] and implemented by Cambridge Education, a member of the Mott MacDonald Group.. Learn More