Folawe Omikunle
Chief Executive Officer - Teach For Nigeria
Folawe Omikunle is a visionary social entrepreneur with a distinguished career spanning over a decade across diverse fields including Education, Development, Non-profit Management, Fundraising, and Sustainability. Her educational background, encompassing degrees in International Law and Diplomacy, Diplomatic Studies, and Montessori Education from prestigious institutions such as Babcock University, Nigeria, University of Westminster, and Modern Montessori International, United Kingdom, has equipped her to be a transformative force driving change. Her journey exemplifies a remarkable revolution in the Nigerian education non-profit sector. Notably, she holds Executive Certifications from both Lagos Business School, Nigeria, and Harvard University.
Presently, Folawe Omikunle serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Teach For Nigeria, a distinguished non-profit organization committed to addressing educational inequity, by recruiting university graduates and professionals to serve as full-time teachers in Nigeria's most underserved schools. Under Folawe's astute leadership, Teach For Nigeria has evolved into a formidable movement, impacting the lives of over 300,000 students and just under 1,000 young leaders across Lagos, Ogun, and Kaduna states. The impact extends beyond the classroom as well, with over 835 Teach For Nigeria alumni initiating projects like the Child Support Initiative, aimed at promoting menstrual hygiene, and the Mentor an African Child Initiative, focused on expanding digital access for children in low-income communities. Folawe's vision extends beyond her own organization. She has been instrumental in enhancing the leadership capacity of over 18,000 existing teachers across 29 Nigerian states through collaborative efforts with government institutions and education development partners. Her unwavering commitment and tenacity resulted in Teach For Nigeria receiving the prestigious Best Education Innovation of the Year award at the 2018 Arclight Awards.
Folawe Omikunle's impact has earned her well-deserved recognition. She was featured in the PowerList as one of the ten most influential Nigerians under 40 by YNaija in 2016. In 2018, Leading Ladies Africa listed her among the 100 most inspiring Nigerian women. She has received notable awards such as the HER Network Education Woman of the Year award, the 2023 Woman of the Year in Education award from Herconomy, and the Arclight Foundation Woman of the Year in Education award. As Nigeria celebrated its 60th Independence Day in 2020, Folawe was acknowledged as one of the 60 most inspiring and impactful women in the nation. Her remarkable journey continued in 2022, as she emerged as a Top 10 Finalist for the Africa Education Medal, recognizing her significant contributions to the continent's education sector. Folawe sits on several boards that include, Global School Leaders (GSL), the Nigerian Breweries– Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Nigerian Vocational Training Center for the Blind, and Teach For All Africa Regional Advisory Council. She is also a member of the prestigious 2023 Tutu Fellowship cohort.
Firmly rooted in her beliefs, Folawe Omikunle is a staunch advocate for the transformative power of education as the key to unlocking Nigeria's and Africa's true potential. This conviction not only defines her individual approach but also underscores her collective endeavors with fellow changemakers.
