Lagos, Nigeria | July 2026 – The Nigeria Higher Education Foundation (NHEF) successfully concluded its 2026 Programs Orientation Week, held from Saturday, July 4 to Saturday, July 11, 2026, bringing together 171 participants comprising 110 NHEF Scholars, 30 Graduate Doctors, and 31 Faculty Fellows from Nigeria’s leading universities for an intensive week of leadership development, professional capacity building, experiential learning, and industry engagement.

This year’s Orientation Week marked a historic milestone as the NHEF Scholars Program celebrated its 10th anniversary, commemorating a decade of identifying, developing, and empowering exceptional young Nigerians while reaffirming the Foundation’s commitment to strengthening higher education and preparing the next generation of transformational leaders.

Celebrating 10 Years of the NHEF Scholars Program

To commemorate its tenth anniversary, the NHEF Scholars Program welcomed its largest cohort to date, admitting 110 exceptional students selected through a highly competitive process from more than 1,800 applications received across Nigeria. For the first time in the Program’s history, the cohort was expanded beyond its traditional class size of 100 scholars, with an additional 10 outstanding students admitted in recognition of the milestone anniversary.

In a landmark expansion of the Program, these 10 additional scholars were selected from non-partner federal universities: Obafemi Awolowo University (3), University of Ilorin (3), Nnamdi Azikiwe University (1), University of Calabar (1), University of Uyo (1), and Usmanu Danfodiyo University (1), joining students from NHEF’s six partner universities: Ahmadu Bello University, Bayero University, University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and University of Port Harcourt. This special anniversary expansion reflects NHEF’s commitment to extending life-changing opportunities to exceptional students beyond its traditional partner institutions while celebrating a decade of impact. 

Throughout the week, scholars participated in immersive learning experiences covering leadership, workplace ethics, effective communication, innovative thinking, career readiness, and professional excellence.

One of the program’s defining experiences was the Assessment Center Day, where scholars participated in workplace simulations, business case presentations, role-play exercises, group challenges, and industry-focused panel sessions designed to mirror real workplace environments. More than fifty (50) Human Resource professionals and industry leaders participated as assessors, interviewers, and panelists, providing scholars with valuable professional feedback, networking opportunities, industry insights, and on-the-spot recruitment opportunities.

Participants also engaged in fireside conversations with distinguished business leaders, including Mrs. Titi Odunfa Adeoye, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sankore Investments, and Mr. Wale Adeosun, CFA, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kuramo Capital, who shared leadership lessons, career insights, and perspectives on navigating today’s evolving business landscape.

As part of the program’s focus on future-ready leadership, scholars participated in an immersive learning experience at Lagos Business School, where they explored the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence and automation in the workplace. The session challenged participants to move beyond being users of AI to becoming professionals capable of leveraging emerging technologies to solve complex organizational challenges, drive innovation, and compete effectively in an increasingly global economy.

The cohort also visited the newly renovated National Theatre (Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts), gaining valuable insights into Nigeria’s rapidly growing creative economy and the opportunities within the country’s cultural and creative industries.

As the Scholars Program enters its second decade, it has now developed nearly 600 exceptional young leaders, many of whom are making significant contributions across business, government, academia, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and the non-profit sector.

NHEF Graduate Doctors Program Welcomes Its Largest Cohort

From Tuesday, July 7 to Saturday, July 11, the NHEF Graduate Doctors Program also welcomed its largest cohort to date, bringing together 30 early-career medical professionals for an immersive leadership and professional development experience.

The program equipped participants with practical skills in leadership, ethics, patient-centered care, emotional intelligence, healthcare systems, quality improvement, and healthcare innovation.

Participants also earned Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through hands-on training at Evercare Hospital and participated in industry visits to both Evercare Hospital and Lakeshore Cancer Center, where they explored emerging trends in clinical practice, healthcare management, and patient care.

A leadership masterclass hosted by the management team of CAReH Africa provided participants with practical insights into healthcare leadership, innovation, systems strengthening, and the evolving future of healthcare delivery across Africa.

Through mentorship, experiential learning, and professional networking, the program strengthened participants’ capacity to become compassionate, innovative, and transformational leaders within Nigeria’s healthcare sector.

Advancing Teaching Excellence Through the NHEF Faculty Program

Also held from Tuesday, July 7 to Saturday, July 11, the NHEF Faculty Program convened 31 lecturers and university administrators from NHEF partner universities for an intensive professional development experience focused on advancing teaching excellence, research capacity, academic leadership, and institutional transformation.

Participants explored emerging trends in Artificial Intelligence in higher education, curriculum innovation, grant writing, research collaboration, university leadership, and organizational transformation through highly interactive workshops and peer-learning sessions.

Faculty Fellows also visited Lagos Business School, where they participated in a dedicated session titled “Designing High-Impact Academic Departments and Administrative Units: Strategy, Systems and Reform.” The session equipped participants with practical frameworks for strengthening institutional effectiveness, organizational strategy, and departmental leadership, providing actionable tools to enhance teaching, administration, and institutional impact within their respective universities.

NHEF Higher Education Forum Champions Institutional Transformation

A major highlight of Orientation Week was the 2026 NHEF Higher Education Forum, held on Saturday, July 11 at the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) Auditorium, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Held under the theme “Leading Institutional Transformation: Faculty, Students and Alumni as Partners in University Advancement,” the Forum convened university leaders, faculty members, students, alumni, policymakers, development partners, and private sector leaders to explore practical strategies for strengthening Nigeria’s higher education ecosystem.

One of the Forum’s highlights was a fireside conversation on the future of university advancement in Nigeria, featuring Mr Gbenga Oyebode, MFR, Member, Board of Trustees, Ford Foundation and moderated by Mr Wale Adeosun, CFA, Chairman of the NHEF Board of Directors. The discussion underscored the critical role of sustainable university advancement in strengthening Nigerian higher education and highlighted NHEF’s leadership in this space through the newly launched National University Advancement Program (NUAP), developed in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education under the leadership of the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, which has already trained more than 129 university advancement professionals from Federal Universities across Nigeria, strengthening institutional capacity in alumni relations, fundraising, communications, and stakeholder engagement.

The Forum also featured the NHEF Institutional Transformation Challenge, an inter-university faculty competition that showcased innovative approaches to improving teaching, learning, and institutional effectiveness through technology and systems thinking. Bayero University emerged as the overall winner after presenting an outstanding institutional transformation proposal that demonstrated innovation, collaboration, and practical impact.

Graduation Ceremony Marks a Decade of Impact

The Orientation Week concluded with the 2026 NHEF Graduation Ceremony, held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, celebrating the achievements of the Foundation’s scholars, graduate doctors, and faculty fellows, and commemorating 10 years of the NHEF Scholars Program.

Delivering the keynote address, Mr. John Alamu, Founder and Group Managing Director of CapitalSage Holdings, challenged participants to embrace resilience, integrity, and purposeful leadership throughout their professional journeys.

Reflecting on the importance of continuous personal development, he remarked:

“A certificate says you are qualified. Processing makes you valuable. Stay in the fire, because value compounds where you stay.”

His message encouraged participants to embrace lifelong learning and remain steadfast through the challenges that shape exceptional leadership.

Leadership Reflections

Speaking on the significance of the Foundation’s scholars program tenth anniversary, Mr. Wale Adeosun, CFA, Chairman of the NHEF Board of Directors, said:

“As we celebrate ten years of the NHEF Scholars Program, we are proud of the lives transformed and remain committed to expanding opportunities for exceptional young Nigerians while strengthening the universities that prepare them to lead.”

The Executive Director of NHEF, Mrs. Claire Jemide, highlighted the significance of the Orientation Week in preparing participants to become ethical and transformational leaders.

“The Orientation Week is only the beginning of each participant’s leadership journey. We are confident that this new generation of scholars, faculty fellows, and graduate doctors will drive innovation, strengthen institutions, and create lasting impact across Nigeria and beyond.”

Investing in the Next Generation

The graduation ceremony also welcomed distinguished leaders from academia, business, and philanthropy, several of whom made generous commitments towards the NHEF Entrepreneurship Initiative, reaffirming their shared commitment to empowering the next generation of Nigerian innovators and entrepreneurs.

In one of the evening’s most memorable moments, members of the 2023 NHEF Scholars Cohort presented a ₦1 million donation to the Foundation in support of future scholars. Their contribution exemplified the culture of leadership, service, philanthropy, and giving back that the NHEF continues to cultivate across its growing alumni community.

Looking Ahead

As the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation celebrates ten years of the NHEF Scholars Program, the 2026 Orientation Week stands as a powerful testament to the Foundation’s enduring mission of transforming lives through education, leadership, and access to opportunity.

By investing simultaneously in outstanding students, early-career healthcare professionals, and university faculty, while convening national conversations on higher education transformation, the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation continues to build a thriving community of ethical, innovative, and transformational leaders committed to shaping Nigeria’s future.