Firm Seeks Stronger Partnerships To Transform African Education

A firm, Seplat Energy Plc, has called for stronger collaboration between governments, the private sector and development partners to transform Africa’s education sector and prepare young people for the future of work.

The indigenous energy company made the call at the 2026 Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS), yesterday, where it sponsored a plenary session titled ‘Powering Africa’s Future: Private Sector Leadership in Education Transformation.’

The session brought together policymakers, business leaders, development partners, academics and other education stakeholders to discuss strategic partnerships, digital innovation and investment in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education.

Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Energy, Roger Brown, who was represented by the company’s Director of External Affairs and Social Performance, Chioma Afe, said sustainable improvements in education would require collaboration among governments, businesses and development organisations.

According to him, Seplat’s partnership with the Africa Social Impact Summit reflects the company’s commitment to supporting practical initiatives that improve education across the continent.

Brown said Seplat Energy has continued to invest in education in its host communities in Edo, Delta and Imo states, with plans to expand its interventions to Akwa Ibom state.

He said the company’s programmes include support for basic and secondary education, tertiary scholarships, teacher development, STEAM education through its Access to Energy initiative, STEAM laboratories and the Seplat Innovation Programme, which encourages secondary school students to develop clean energy solutions in partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Brown stressed that no single institution or country could address Africa’s education challenges alone, noting that sustained private sector investment, sound policies and strategic partnerships were essential to equipping young people with the skills needed in a rapidly changing global economy.

For her part, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, described education as the most strategic investment any nation could make and commended Seplat Energy for its contributions to the sector.

She said the company’s interventions, including scholarships, teacher development programmes, school infrastructure projects and STEAM initiatives, had supported efforts to improve educational outcomes.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, also underscored the importance of partnerships in financing development across education, healthcare, infrastructure and technology.