In a time when African education systems are often defined by underfunded classrooms, uneven quality, and bureaucratic inertia, Abiola Seriki-Ayeni is rewriting the narrative—one policy, one teacher, and one student at a time.
As the Director General of the Lagos State Office of Education Quality Assurance, Nigeria’s largest and most complex educational ecosystem, Seriki-Ayeni is not just managing compliance—she’s leading a quiet revolution. With the precision of a strategist and the compassion of a teacher, she has emerged as one of the most dynamic forces reshaping public education in Africa’s most populous city.
Abiola’s journey to the forefront of educational reform began far from Lagos—in the classrooms of New York City. She honed her skills in some of the most demanding education environments in the United States, including the New York City Department of Education and the Achievement First Charter network. It was in these formative years that she gained deep insight into how systems, if well-designed, can foster equity, excellence, and accountability.
Armed with this experience and a master’s degree in education policy from Harvard University, she returned to Nigeria not to critique, but to build.
Her appointment as Senior Special Assistant on Education to the former Governor of Lagos marked a turning point: for the first time, an education strategist with both field and policy experience was given the mandate to drive reform at scale—even in the absence of a sitting Commissioner.
And drive she did. From improving learning outcomes and introducing post-COVID recovery initiatives, to rethinking school inspections and parent engagement, her leadership made it clear: reform is possible, even in systems weighed down by history.
At the heart of Seriki-Ayeni’s leadership style is a philosophy both simple and powerful: excellence is a habit, integrity in all, and we soar without excuses.
This mantra guides how she engages stakeholders—from teachers and school administrators to parents and policymakers. Her focus is on trust, kindness, and data-driven decision-making.
Under her watch, the Office of Education Quality Assurance has transformed from a regulatory backwater into a results-oriented engine of educational improvement. School inspections now prioritize not just compliance, but holistic learning environments. Teachers are trained not only in curriculum delivery, but in emotional intelligence and community-building. Parents are no longer treated as passive observers, but as critical partners in the education process.
Abiola is not merely a technocrat in public service—she is a system changer with a long-term vision for generational impact. She understands that real transformation requires more than policy papers and PowerPoint presentations.
It requires courage, collaboration, and an unrelenting belief that African children deserve the same standard of education as their peers anywhere in the world.
Whether designing frameworks for blended learning in the wake of COVID-19, mentoring young education leaders, or championing inclusive practices in underserved communities, she shows up with the same clarity of purpose: to ensure that every child receives a quality education—regardless of their background or ZIP code.
Her work is inspiring a new wave of public sector professionals who see education not as a job, but as a mission.
As a mother and mentor, she brings a deeply human dimension to her role. She knows that when you fix education, you fix futures. And when you invest in teachers, you empower nations.
Abiola Seriki-Ayeni is the face of a new kind of African leadership—one that fuses global best practices with local relevance, that values both empathy and execution, and that measures success not by political timelines, but by generational outcomes.
Image Credit:The Guardian Nigeria News
