Badenoch visits UK’s 1st independent school in W.Africa
- Signals more British education investments
Sopuruchi Onwuka
Successful take off of the Charterhouse School in Lekki, Lagos State will keep the gate open for inflow of over £50 million or about N100 billion British transnational education (TNE) investments into Nigeria.
The UK Minister for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch, who led the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Girls Education, Helen Grant, on a tour of the school project, declared that Charterhouse would deliver a world-class learning experience to many students who choose to study here in Nigeria.
The Senior Press & Public Affairs Officer, Ndidiamaka Eze, stated in a media release that the Charterhouse school project stands significant towards establishing the first British independent school in West Africa, “building on the UK government’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s desire to offer high quality education at home.”
Ms Eze who is also the Communications Lead in charge of Prosperity, and Economic Development at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office of the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos stated that the school aims to deliver a strong academic curriculum with day and boarding facilities, and with a focus on intra and extra-curricular activities including sports, arts, and science.
According to the project timelines, the school is expected to open doors to primary and secondary school students from Nigeria and beyond starting September 2024.
According to the statement, recent talks between the UK and Nigeria have helped to remove restrictions to TNE investment in Nigeria, opening the door for around £50 million investments and enabling UK Higher Education institutions build TNE partnerships with their Nigerian counterparts.
“We hope this first major investment into Nigeria’s education sector will pave the way for more,” the media release stated.
“It’s brilliant to see the progress of the construction work at the Charterhouse site – the first UK independent school in West Africa.
“The UK education system is rightly renowned around the world, and I hope the school will deliver a world-class learning experience to many students who choose to study here in Nigeria,” Badenoch said.
Head / Director of Education, Charterhouse School, John Todd said: “We are honoured to welcome the UK’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade to Charterhouse Lagos as we showcase the amazing facilities we are building.
“As Nigeria’s first British independent school, we are proud of our British heritage through our partnership with Charterhouse UK and reaffirm our commitment to delivering world-class education in Nigeria.
“We express our gratitude to the UK government through the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos for their unwavering support over the past year.”
While in Lagos, Minister Badenoch will meet with other key businesses including Standard Chartered Bank, Avanti Satellite Communications and IHS Towers, as well as the British development finance institution, British International Investment (BII), to discuss trade and investment opportunities for businesses on both sides.
