Sade Michael-Adenuga transforms a building at Lagos’s first primary school into a library to mark the International Day of the Girl Child

In commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child, Sade Michael-Adenuga’s Aisiki Foundation transformed a building at St. Thomas Anglican Primary School in Badagry into a library for 120 pupils, creating new opportunities for learning, literacy and possibility.

For generations, St. Thomas Anglican Primary School in Badagry has welcomed pupils through its doors, carrying a legacy that dates back to 1845. Now, a building within its grounds has been given a new purpose: a library designed to nurture curiosity, encourage reading, and expand the possibilities available to its 120 pupils.

The transformation was led by Sade Michael-Adenuga , Group Executive Director, Globacom and Co-Founder and Trustee, Aisiki Foundation , who approached the project with a clear intention: to preserve the building’s architectural character while creating a functional, welcoming space for the next generation.

Entrance to the St. Thomas Anglican Primary School in Badagry via The Aisiki Foundation

Working alongside the school community, local artisans and carpenters in Badagry, Sade championed the design process, ensuring the renovated space respected the school’s history while meeting the needs of its pupils. Rather than introduce an entirely new structure, the project demonstrates how adaptive reuse and local craftsmanship can breathe new life into existing buildings, creating spaces that serve communities for years to come.

The vision extended beyond the building itself. Sade handpicked and procured the books , choosing each title to encourage students to imagine possibilities beyond their immediate surroundings. The result is a library that gives pupils a safe, welcoming environment to explore new ideas, develop their interests, and build a lasting relationship with books.

“It’s not enough to tell children to dream big. We also have to give them access to the things that help those dreams grow: books, ideas, people and spaces where they can learn and be curious.” — Sade Michael-Adenuga

Aisiki Foundation is committed to rethinking prosperity through community impact

Sade Michael-Adenuga, alongside students in school uniform, parents and staff, at the library via The Aisiki Foundation

Sade Michael-Adenuga is a business executive, entrepreneur, and philanthropist whose work spans telecommunications, infrastructure development, and social impact. Across her corporate career and philanthropic work through the Aisiki Foundation, Sade’s focus has remained on creating enduring value and building opportunities that extend beyond the present. The library forms part of the renewed direction of the Aisiki Foundation , established in 2020 to expand opportunities and improve the well-being of women and children.

For Sade, the Foundation’s work begins with understanding the needs of the communities it serves. This means listening, identifying where support can make a meaningful difference, and developing initiatives that respond to those needs.

The project also brings the meaning of Aisiki, or prosperity , into sharper focus. Beyond material accumulation, prosperity can be understood through the opportunities made available to others: a renewed learning environment for school children, meaningful work for local artisans and carpenters, and improved access to books and knowledge.

Sade Michael-Adenuga with Aisiki Foundation staff at the new library via The Aisiki Foundation

Sade’s personal interest in creative writing has also informed the initiative. As part of the project, the Foundation is offering a ₦200,000 creative writing prize to the school’s best-performing pupil, encouraging children to express themselves through writing , develop their voices and discover the possibilities of storytelling.

The library, which opened on Saturday, 10 October 2026, marks the beginning of an ongoing commitment. Sade plans to receive regular reports on the library’s use and return to assess how it is serving the pupils and where further support may be needed. The project’s long-term value, ultimately, will depend not only on the space that has been created but also on the opportunities it enables for the children of Badagry.

Read also: The journey to providing education for the girl-child in Nigeria has been impactful yet fraught with challenges

Marking International Day of the Girl Child

Students in school uniform reading books at the library via The Aisiki Foundation

The library’s opening around International Day of the Girl Child , observed annually on 11 October, reinforces the importance of ensuring that young girls have access to the resources and opportunities they need to learn, grow, and shape their futures. It is also pivotal for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty approaching on 17 October. The initiative highlights the role that access to education, knowledge, and community investment can play in alleviating mental poverty for children.

For girls in particular, access to books and a supportive learning environment can open up new ways of understanding the world, exploring their interests, and developing the confidence to imagine diverse, empowering futures for themselves.

A girl reading a book to Sade Michael-Adenuga at the library via The Aisiki Foundation

During Sade’s visit, one pupil began reading “ The Jungle Book ” to her. It brought a personal connection to the project into focus; Sade had read the same book as a child. Now, it sits on the library’s shelves, ready for another generation to discover.

For Sade, the library’s success will be measured in the books children return to. Also, the stories they write, and the confidence they build. Sustaining that impact will require continued support from the school and its community.

“I’m less interested in simply creating spaces than in what happens inside them. If this library gets a child reading more, writing more or discovering something new, then it is doing what we hoped it would do.” — Sade Michael-Adenuga

The school community has welcomed the library. English teacher Mr Kappo Gbenupo Bisi described it as a home of knowledge that would open doors to wisdom. A parent also expressed gratitude, noting that the initiative would encourage pupils to read, develop their talents and build brighter futures.

As the library opens its doors, its promise lies in what follows: more children discovering books, finding their voices and gaining access to possibilities that might otherwise have remained beyond reach.

Read more: 7.6 million Nigerian girls are out of school: An overlooked crisis that demands urgent action

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The post Sade Michael-Adenuga transforms a building at Lagos’s first primary school into a library to mark the International Day of the Girl Child appeared first on Marie Claire Nigeria .