Teach For Nigeria Appoints New Board Chairman, Members

Teach For Nigeria has announced the appointment of Mr. Kunle Elebute as its new Board Chairman and Mrs. Dudun Peterside and  Abdulrahman Mijinyawa as new Board of Directors.

Teach For Nigeria is a non-profit organisation committed to addressing the complex challenges confronting children in disadvantaged communities by developing leadership in classrooms and communities to ensure all children can reach their full potential.

Elebute recently retired from KPMG after a career in professional services which spanned a period of 40 years. He obtained a degree in Economics from the University of Manchester, UK in 1982.

As a partner in KPMG, he led various business units from 2002 and was elected as senior partner/CEO of KPMG Nigeria in 2016 as well as fhairman of KPMG West Africa, which he held until he retired in September 2022. In 2017, He was appointed chairman of KPMG Africa and a member of the KPMG Global Board and also a member of the KPMG Europe Middle East and Africa Region Board.

At various times during his career, he served on a number of not-for-profit boards such as the Society for Family Health in Nigeria, Nigeria Economic Summit Group; American Business Council; Grange School, Ikeja, Lagos, and Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos.

Peterside is a psychologist, executive coach and human development adviser with over 40 years experience in psychology and education and over 20 years experience as an executive coach. As managing partner at Narita Learning Centre, Mrs. Peterside has coached board members, senior executives and private individuals in several multinational and local organizations across diverse industries.

She is passionate about education and philanthropy and is a trustee and board member of several charitable and educational organizations including Teach for Nigeria, ANAP Foundation, ART X, the Yinka Shonibare Foundation (YSF). She is a Co-Founder of the ANAP Equestrian Centre and the Founder of the Love Foundation, a charitable organization committed to uplifting people and the environment through education, music, and the performing arts. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Education from the University of London,

 Mijinyawa is currently the General Manager, Development and Subsurface Nigeria, Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCiN), responsible for project and asset lifecycle development and subsurface support covering both onshore and deepwater operations.

With a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria,  Mijinyawa joined the Shell Nigeria graduate training program in 2005, shortly before proceeding to the Imperial College, London, for a master’s degree in Petroleum Engineering. In 2020, he became the WRFM, Digital and Technology Manager for SNEPCo, a role he combined with that of the Digital and Technology BOM for SCiN.

AR is passionate about individual and collective growth, reducing energy and education poverty by enhancing access to energy and quality education and promoting the power of digital technologies to positively transform the way we live. He has been a TFN ambassador since January 2018.

The new board members will provide strategic guidance and support in expanding educational opportunities and life opportunities to children in underserved schools and low income communities in Nigeria.

The timing of these appointments to the organization coincides with Teach For Nigeria’s efforts to expand across all geopolitical zones in Nigeria, with the aim of impacting ten million children in the coming decade. Therefore, their distinctive viewpoints and unwavering commitment to eradicating educational inequity in Nigeria are of utmost importance.

The new board chairman and board members’ tenure with began in July 2023.

Speaking on the appointment, the CEO of Teach for Nigeria, Folawe Omikunle, expressed optimism about the new dispensation’s ability to provide sterling leadership for the organization.”

“I consider Teach For Nigeria to be extremely blessed to benefit from the leadership and perspectives of Mr. Elebute, Mrs. Peterside, and Mr. Mijinyawa, especially as we navigate the current phase of expanding Teach for Nigeria across the nation. Their commitment to improving education and nurturing leadership, combined with their extensive experience, adds invaluable depth to our mission,” Omikunle said.

“We commend their unwavering commitment to the vision of Teach For Nigeria and look forward to the tremendous value their appointment will add to the organization.”