L-R: Sim Shagaya, CEO, Ulessons and Chancellor of Miva Open University; Temitayo Adegoke, COO, Sterling Bank Ltd; Abubakar Suleiman, MD/CEO, Sterling Bank Ltd; Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO, Sterling One Foundation and Charles Omoera, CEO, SterlingFI at the September edition of the Sterling Leadership Series hosted in Lagos recently.

Sterling Bank has turned promise into action, unveiling the first 99 beneficiaries of its ₦2 billion Beyond Education Scholarship Fund, a bold investment in Nigeria’s next generation of leaders. The announcement, made during the Sterling Leadership Series (SLS) on 4 September at the Alliance Française de Lagos / Mike Adenuga Centre, signaled the rise of a movement to reimagine education as the engine of national transformation.

Launched earlier this year, the Beyond Education Scholarship Fund is set to provide full tuition scholarships to deserving Nigerians, marking one of the boldest private-sector commitments to higher education in the country’s history. Anchored on Sterling’s HEART strategy (Health, Education, Agriculture, Renewable Energy, and Transportation), the initiative underscores the bank’s belief in education as the most powerful driver of national progress.

Speaking at the event, Temitayo Adegoke, Chief Operating Officer of Sterling Bank, described the unveiling as a clarion call for a new era:

“At Sterling, we see education as the most powerful tool for transformation. We have invested, and will continue to invest, in programs that extend access to quality education and create pathways for real-world opportunities.”

The event brought together leading voices across entrepreneurship, policy, and education, including Sim Shagaya, Founder of uLesson and Miva University; Dr. Ayoteju Ogun, Deputy Director at the Nigerian Universities Commission; and David Adebayo, Chief Entrepreneur at Sterling Bank. Together, they challenged Africa to move beyond traditional education models and embrace creativity, adaptability, and lifelong learning as drivers of growth in the new economy.

Abubakar Suleiman, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Sterling Bank, reinforced this vision:

“The Sterling Leadership Series was designed to set a standard. Tonight, that standard is clear. Our young people have the talent, the curiosity, and the courage. What they need are the right opportunities and we are creating the platforms, the tools, and the pathways to unlock Nigeria’s greatest dividend: its people.”

The unveiling of the first 99 scholars drew thunderous applause, celebrated as both an academic milestone and a statement of values. With ₦2 billion committed to opportunity, Sterling Bank is rewriting the script for how financial institutions shape a nation’s future, placing people at the centre and turning investment into lasting impact. Already, the Beyond Education Scholarship is sparking conversations nationwide, reminding Nigerians that the future is not inherited, it is built.

Nominations are now open for the next cohort at sterling.ng/FUTURE

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