In a country where conversations about the future are often clouded by concerns over economic hardship, unemployment and declining social values, a group of Nigerian teenagers has offered a refreshing reminder that the nation’s hope may still lie in the compassion, vision and courage of its young people, Bennett Oghifo writes
On Friday, May 22, 2026, two teenage students, Fareedah Oyolola and Ifeoluwa Onafowokan, demonstrated an uncommon commitment to social impact as they led an educational outreach programme in Lagos under the initiative, EduSpark by Tomorrow’s People.
The outreach, which took place at Express Nursery and Primary School I along Ikosi Road in Ketu, Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State, brought together over 30 student volunteers who distributed educational materials to more than 400 pupils in the public school.
What made the event particularly remarkable was not merely the scale of the intervention, but the age of those behind it. The initiative was conceived, coordinated and executed entirely by teenagers under the age of 17 who chose to channel their privilege and access into improving the lives of less privileged children through education.
Their actions offered a practical demonstration of the popular Yoruba saying, “Eyin nín di Akúkó,” loosely translated as “the young of today are the leaders of tomorrow.”
