Free Academy Opens in Ogun to Build Confident Future Leaders

The Bennie Griffins Academy in Adiyan, Ogun State, has officially opened with a focus on developing confident, independent-minded children who can grow into future leaders.

Founded by 18-year-old Nigerian-German entrepreneur Georgia Oviesu, the academy currently provides free education to about 50 children from the community. The beneficiaries receive tuition, meals, uniforms, socks and other basic school needs at no cost.

At the official launch on Thursday, Oviesu said the academy was established not only to provide children with access to education but also to create an environment where they can develop confidence and freely express their views.

She explained that many Nigerian children still lack access to high-quality education because of their family circumstances. The situation, she noted, was particularly visible in the community where the academy operates.

“I noticed there was a gap. I realised that the average Nigerian child doesn’t have access to high-quality education. And I wanted to close that gap,” Oviesu said.

The founder, who is also known professionally as Gia Réi, said she wanted the school to go beyond the traditional approach where pupils are mainly judged by academic performance.

According to her, a child’s ability to think independently, express an opinion and develop confidence should also form an important part of education.

“I do not want to create an environment where children are scared to say their opinion,” she said. “In fact, I want to foster that.”

Oviesu said she wants pupils to feel comfortable disagreeing with her and expressing their own views. She believes such an atmosphere can help children develop the confidence and independence required to become effective leaders.

For the founder, the academy therefore represents more than a charitable intervention. She sees the project as a way of expanding Nigeria’s pool of young people who can make meaningful contributions to society.

“I think it’s beyond charity,” she explained. “I am helping this community, I’m helping Nigeria as a whole, gain access to children who can actually make impact.”

The decision to establish the academy in Adiyan followed Oviesu’s observations of children selling food and other items on the streets. She said the experience made her more conscious of the educational opportunities that many children in the community could miss.

The project began last year when Oviesu was 17, during her first year in the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme. Her own educational experience, she said, reinforced her conviction that quality education could change the direction of a child’s life.

The formal opening has now turned that vision into a functioning school, with dozens of children already enrolled and receiving education without paying fees.

Some of the pupils said the new environment had already made them excited about learning.

Ten-year-old Qabiya, a Year One pupil, said she learnt about the school through her mother’s friends and was happy to attend. She identified English and Yoruba as her favourite subjects and said she hopes to become a doctor.

Eleven-year-old Bamise Oluwatoba Elion, a JSS2 pupil, also welcomed the opportunity to receive free education in what she described as a comfortable school environment.

“I like the way they’ve given the children opportunities to have free education,” Bamise said.

She identified English Language as her favourite subject and said she hopes to become a surgeon.

Oviesu said the response from the children would form part of how she assesses the academy’s impact. Rather than relying only on examination results, she plans to pay attention to their happiness, confidence and willingness to express themselves.

She also wants the school to provide an atmosphere where children can challenge ideas without fear, arguing that independent thinking is essential to producing future leaders.

The young founder has set a wider target for the initiative beyond the Adiyan campus. As she prepares to enter university, she plans to work towards replicating the model across Nigeria.

Her ambition is to establish a free school in every state, creating opportunities for children who might otherwise struggle to obtain quality education.

Oviesu acknowledged the scale of the ambition and the challenges involved in sustaining such a project. However, she said her age should not prevent her from acting where she believes she can make a difference.

Reflecting on her decision to start the initiative, she said she had questioned why she should take on the responsibility when other people had greater resources.

Her conclusion was that having an opportunity to help others also creates a responsibility to act.

“Privilege isn’t just what you have, it’s what you’re able to change with what you have,” Oviesu stated.

With the academy now officially open, the focus shifts to sustaining the free education programme and developing the children beyond classroom achievement. Oviesu hopes the pupils will eventually emerge as confident Nigerians capable of expressing their ideas and taking leadership roles in their communities.

Free academy, Future leaders, Ogun education, Child education, Georgia Oviesu,