Modupe Bankole
A Chance Encounter, A Lifelong Commitment
In an exceptional tale of philanthropy and dedication, Modupe Bankole, a human resource consultant from Lagos State for about a decade, has been investing millions of naira in the education sector of Akwa Ibom State, a State she has no familial or business ties to.
“It’s not about where I’m from, but about making a positive impact in the lives of these students,” Modupe says. “Education is a universal key to societal transformation. My motivation stems from a desire to make a tangible difference in the lives of these students, empowering them to overcome challenges and achieve greatness.”
The Journey Begins, a New Path Unfolds
Modupe’s journey as a mentor began in 2017 when as a Human Resource Consultant she attended a dinner with some Human Resource professional colleagues in Lagos where she is based. Although the occasion was for merriment, almost everyone at the table who were drawn from different States in their chit-chat expressed concerns over the declining education standard in the country and how, ultimately, that impacts the ability of their respective organisations to hire qualified staff.
Modupe’s interest was piqued when one of her colleagues, Isaac Idotenyin, shared thoughts on how the decline in standard of education can be addressed and mentioned the Inoyo Toro Foundation, which focuses on motivating and developing teachers and students in Akwa Ibom State.
“That intrigued me, and I wanted to know more. He graciously extended an invitation to that year’s Foundation event”, Modupe recalls.
She honoured the invitation to the Annual Teachers Awards ceremony organised by the Inoyo Toro Foundation in Uyo. The event held at Le Meridien hotel is usually preceded by a mentorship clinic for the students. This clinic held every November provides a platform for highly successful professionals who are role models in leadership behavior and winning character to students to adopt public secondary schools of their choice and mentor the brightest students of the school. At this clinic, a mentor will have a one-on-one, two-hour session to mentor the students at the annual event forming the bedrock of the beginning of a lifelong mentorship relationship.
When Modupe attended the Inoyo Toro Foundation’s Annual Teachers Awards ceremony in Uyo, she embraced an opportunity beyond her invitation. When the master of ceremony announced that volunteers were needed for the schools whose mentors were yet to arrive, she volunteered to mentor students from Methodist Senior Science College (MSSC), Oron, after their assigned mentor failed to show up.
“I was about to check in at the front desk of the hotel when I locked eyes with one of the students at a table nearby. We held gazes for a few seconds, and I went over to sit at the table labelled ‘Methodist Senior Science College (MSSC), Oron’,” Modupe recalls.
A Teacher from the Methodist College who witnessed what happened, Mr. Benjamin Bassey said Modupe’s interaction with the students yielded further interest that materialized beyond the mentorship clinic.
“She developed genuine interest in the students and during her interaction with them, she fell in love with them”, he reminisced
Mr. Bassey narrated that in the process, the students told her some of the things that they have not enjoyed for a while as students and top on the list was an inter house sport which for years was not held in the school owing to paucity of logistics.
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Modupe immediately picked interest in intervening and assured the school principal that she will initiate inter-house sports.
But she did not stop there. When the mentorship clinic ended, the next day, Modupe journeyed 55 kilometres from the capital city (Uyo) to Oron where the school is located thus expanding her mentorship from the six best students selected earlier for the clinic to other students in the school.
” She spent long hours in the school interacting with the children”, Bassey recounted.
The next day, Modupe visited the school again. This time, she spent long hours with the teachers having interaction with them to understand their challenges and how best she can intervene.
A Mentor’s Impact
Since then, Modupe has been providing guidance, support, and resources to the students, helping them to overcome challenges and achieve their academic goals. Her investments in the school include sponsoring inter-house sports, donating educational materials, and facilitating career development initiatives.
“Modupe has been a pillar of support for our school,” says Mrs. Florence Essien, Principal of Methodist Senior Science College. “She has donated several science textbooks to the school library and students, sports facilities, and exercise books to our students and teachers. Her contributions have made a significant impact on our school’s academic performance and extracurricular activities.”
Real-World Experience, Real-World Impact
Modupe’s mentorship style is distinguished by her commitment to enabling real-time engagement with professionals working in careers of interest to the students. “We organise field trips for students in cohorts of career interest,” Modupe explains. “For example, a group of students interested in becoming medical doctors will go on an excursion to a renowned hospital and have a session with a medical doctor.”
The impact of Modupe’s mentorship has been profound. Students who have benefited from her guidance have shown significant improvements in their academic performance, with some even securing prestigious scholarships.
One of the beneficiaries of Modupe’s mentorship, Favour Emmanuel, says, “Modupe has encouraged me and other students in words and in deeds. She has given me the backbone to aspire to be greater than her, and I assured her that I will.”
Ufo-Abasi Bassey, another student who has benefited from Modupe’s mentorship, says,
“As a result of the mentorship, my average performance has increased from 85 percent to 91 percent. Her mentorship has also placed me on a pedestal to train other students.”
Bassey says Modupe’s mentorship had contributed to his performance which made him to be among the students selected in 2024 by the Akwa Ibom State Government for the United Kingdom Exchange Learning programme as he emerged with the highest score in the State.
What is more, the positive results of her investments has also served as a motivation for her “Only last year, I received an emotionally charged message from one of my MSSC mentees who graduated from university about how the mentoring kept him focused. We love to hear these kinds of stories”, she says
A Lifelong Commitment
Despite the substantial commitments made through private sponsorship, Modupe assures that she has no plans to cease her mentorship. “The thought of stopping has never crossed my mind. This is a lifelong commitment, and I am deeply committed to these young minds’ continuous growth and success,” Modupe declares.
Her reason? ” I understand what it means to have external reinforcement. Some of my teachers and a Principal in my formative school years either spoke life-affirming words to me or gave me opportunities that are pivotal to who I am in the present. We all need to pay it forward; I am lucky the Foundation gave me this opportunity. I am deeply committed to these young minds’ continuous growth and success; there is much to do.”
Modupe is of the conviction that the students which she mentors can surpass any limitations and contribute meaningfully to the society with the proper guidance and opportunities.
She maintains that their current circumstance is not an indicator of their prospects explaining that the students, living a life of purpose may be because someone believes in them, sees them, equips them, and encourages them to pursue their dreams.
“That is the gap in which I stand. That is the gap in which many more people are needed”, Modupe notes.
Despite not having personal ties with Akwa Ibom State yet invested handsomely in its education, the MSSC’s mentor says since she appreciates what Inoyo Toro Foundation does, she is determined to support the effort of the Foundation. She explains that since the requirement for supporting the Foundation does not consider tribe, which is an intercession of her alignment with the Foundation’s values, she sees the students as an opportunity to be of service, and possibilities for positive impact.
She adds “I recall when I started, there were professionals across ethnic groups, including one or two expatriates, who were also mentoring. My secondary school teachers had a positive impact on me; some were not even Nigerians.
A Call to Action
Regardless of the strides recorded through her private effort, Modupe opines that while individual efforts are impactful, systemic change requires collective action. She urges the state government to invest more in educational infrastructure, teacher training, and student support.
She calls on Nigerians, home and abroad, to engage in mentorship and support educational initiatives in the country.
Modupe’s story serves as a testament to the transformative power of selfless giving and mentorship. Her call to action is clear: “Our combined efforts now will make a positive difference in the future. But a failure to engage leaves us struggling or incapable of narrowing the gap with the developed nations. Let it not be a generational curse!”
Will her call be considered? Time will tell.
