The founder of Quest Schools, Mr Oyetayo Omotosho, has appealed for provision of quality, tuition-free education for underprivileged students in Nigeria.
Omotosho, a former Chevron executive, established the Quest Schools located at Alaakia in the Ibadan area of Oyo state to offer high-potential children from low-income families access to free education, empowering them to achieve their full potential.
While speaking with our correspondent in an exclusive interview, Omotosho explained that his vision stemmed from his personal experience, having been awarded a full academic scholarship to South Carolina State University in 2009.
Upon his return to Nigeria in 2016, he identified the pressing need for improved education and began his mission by adopting a public primary school.
This later evolved into the creation of Quest Schools, which he unveiled in 2018.
‘’Nigeria is filled with smart and brilliant children who are simply not able to live up to their full potential without quality education. I envision a future where every child, regardless of their economic background, has equal opportunities to transform their future through cutting-edge education,” he said.
PUNCH learned that since its inception, Quest Schools had grown significantly, providing free tuition, books, uniforms, and supplies to students between the ages of six and 14.
The school now serves over 1,000 students across multiple locations in southern Nigeria.
In addition to the primary school, Omotosho also established a secondary school and a vocational training centre to ensure that students have continuous access to learning opportunities.
The vocational centre offers programs such as graphic design, fashion design, and catering to help students develop skills that can sustain them before pursuing higher education.
The founder of Quest Schools said that the school had been entirely funded out of his own pocket, dedicating approximately $5,000 monthly to support this transformative educational endeavour.
Recounting the success of the initiative so far, Omotosho mentioned that the school welcomed another 350 students for the ongoing academic session.
“About 3,000 students are screened each year for a chance to attend one of our primary, secondary, or vocational schools. Yet, only three per cent of applicants are successfully enrolled due to capacity constraints.
“My hope is to align with other like-minded philanthropists who believe in our mission and want to invest in education as a tool to transform the lives of children and young adults. It’s the Omoluabi way, the belief that our true virtue is defined by our courage, hard work, respect, and community,” Omotosho said.
In a parent testimonial video posted on the school website, Mr Isaac Ayoola, a parent, recounted his experience since his son started attending Quest schools.
He mentioned that the returning students and teachers welcomed his ward with warmth and he is also thrilled by the involvement of parents in both the academic and moral life of the kids.
“The behaviour of my son is quite different from when he attended other schools because there are a lot of things that Quest put in place to shape the life of students” he said.
The Faculty Dean, Afolabi Akindele also shared the inspiring journey of this impact-driven project that started six years ago while recounting that one of the major challenges they faced during its early stages, was scepticism from parents.
“So many people thought we were a scam and refused to register their children despite the beautiful flyers we made and the publicity,” he said.