By JKNewsMedia
HUMAN CAPITAL development remains central to Nigeria’s economic ambitions, with Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) positioning education at the core of its corporate social responsibility agenda.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the bank stated that its approach is built on the understanding that future customers, entrepreneurs and employees are currently in classrooms, many of which remain under-resourced noting that while it cannot fix the education system, it has both the reach and long-term interest to contribute meaningfully.
UBN said its education interventions are delivered through Edu360, a platform that consolidates its programmes for schools, teachers and young people. The platform operates across three key areas.
Teacher development forms one pillar, supported through the bank’s partnership with the Maltina Teacher of the Year programme, which recognises and rewards classroom excellence.
The bank stated that teachers represent a high leverage point within the education system.
A second focus centres on practical learning through school hackathons, where students work in teams to solve real problems and engage with technology beyond classroom theory.
The third area addresses financial literacy, with outreach tied to World Savings Day and Financial Literacy Day, noting that early exposure to saving, budgeting and banking principles helps shape long-term financial behaviour.
Edu360 also includes partnerships with educational institutions.
One such collaboration with Greensprings School in Lagos involved sponsorship of eleven consecutive editions of an annual football academy for children aged five to seventeen, delivered alongside coaches from West Bromwich Albion Football Club.
Reflecting on the 2025 edition, the school’s founder and chief executive, Mrs Lai Koiki, said, “We are being future-ready, we are preparing the youth for the future.”
UBN stated that its interventions align with Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 8, which address quality education and decent work.
As part of its back-to-school programme this year, the bank visited Ebutte Elefun High School in the Lafiaji Ward community on Lagos Island, where it distributed school bags and learning materials to hundreds of students.
Saying that the outreach was funded and delivered directly, UBN’s Chief Financial Officer, Oluwagbenga Adeoye, who previously attended the school, was present and engaged with students, sharing his journey, responding to questions and interacting with teachers.
It also stated that such initiatives are modest in scale and are not intended to transform the education system. It noted that they help ease financial pressure at the start of the school year and reinforce attention from outside the school environment.
The bank added that its involvement in education reflects the link between long-term financial sector performance and the economic wellbeing of households and small businesses, adding that extended schooling contributes to higher earnings, savings and use of formal financial services.
Programmes, the bank said, are implemented in partnership with organisations embedded in local communities, with a focus on addressing real constraints and supporting inclusion for girls, underserved learners and students with disabilities.
UBN acknowledged that corporate interventions cannot replace public investment or resolve structural challenges in education.
It stated that Edu360 is designed to ensure sustained engagement with schools and communities over time, with increasing emphasis on tracking outcomes such as attendance and completion, describing its education work as steady and locally grounded, adding that its effectiveness will be measured over time.
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