It Begins With U Foundation (IBWU), a Canada-based charity registered in Nigeria, has partnered with the Kemi Irinoye Foundation (KIF) to launch the 'Cleanest School in Ibadan Program 2026'. The initiative, formalized by a Memorandum of Understanding signed in March 2026, targets secondary schools in Ibadan and promotes hygiene, sanitation, innovation, and civic responsibility among students. Schools will compete based on cleanliness, creativity, teamwork, sustainability, and resource use.
The winning school will receive ₦1 million, with additional cash prizes for second, third, and fourth places, along with scholarships and other awards. The programme is implemented in collaboration with the Oyo State Ministry of Education and supported by relevant government agencies. It includes phases such as stakeholder engagement, school registration, inspections, media coverage, and a grand award ceremony.
Kemi Irinoye, Executive Director of KIF, said the project aims to shape responsible, innovative young people who value their environment. The initiative seeks to create long-term behavioral change and establish model schools in hygiene and environmental responsibility. IBWU has previously executed similar projects in other Nigerian states and plans to expand nationwide.
Kemi Irinoye's foundation is promoting environmental responsibility in Ibadan schools while accepting funding from a foreign-based NGO, not the Oyo State government. If cleanliness requires external funding to be incentivized, it suggests state support for school infrastructure remains insufficient. The ₦1 million prize highlights gaps in routine sanitation financing within public education. Students are being rewarded for basic upkeep that should already be standard.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
