This week, I had the privilege of joining Professor Shitij Kapur, Vice-Chancellor and President of King’s College London, and my esteemed colleague, Professor ‘Funmi Olonisakin, Vice President for International, Engagement & Service, and Co-chair of the Board of King’s Global Health Partnerships, for an inspiring afternoon reception at the Science Gallery London. The event, hosted by the Afe Babalola Centre for Transnational Education, was an opportunity to celebrate collaboration, innovation, and the shared vision of empowering Africa’s next generation.

It was a true pleasure to meet the exceptional cohort of 30 distinguished African academics hosted by the Afe Babalola Centre as part of its residential programme. Delivered in partnership with TEDI-London, King’s Academy, and King’s Digital, the programme exemplifies the power of cross-border educational initiatives. I was particularly excited to engage with the Nigerian participants who are focused on healthcare, discussing ways we can harness the potential of transnational education to empower Africa’s talented young people.

Our conversations at this reception built on recent discussions from the King’s Distinguished Alumni Awards, where we explored the dynamic synergies between the sustainable development efforts of the Wellbeing Africa Foundation and King’s College London’s commitment to driving positive societal change. These synergies are creating pathways toward a shared vision of a better world.

One of the most exciting outcomes of this collaboration is King’s facilitation of a co-developed programme aimed at building capacity for designing and teaching online and blended educational modules on an intergenerational scale. This initiative will help bridge educational gaps and ensure that young people across Africa have the opportunity to access higher education and secure meaningful employment.

By providing Africa’s youth with innovative training and resources, we empower them to shape their own futures and contribute meaningfully to the development of their communities. This, in turn, strengthens the broader goal of achieving #WellbeingforAll, where health, education, and opportunity are accessible to everyone.

It’s a privilege to be part of this transformative journey, and I look forward to seeing the continued impact of this collaboration on the lives of young people across Africa.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Toyin Saraki (@toyinsaraki)