By Israel Adamu, Jos
The Star Educational Leadership Initiative (SELI) has built and commissioned two fully equipped educational playgrounds for schools in underserved communities in Plateau State, providing over 500 pupils with improved access to play-based learning.The beneficiary schools—Baptist Model Academy, Gwafan Lamingo, and Happy Days Private School, Tina Junction, Jos—received customised playgrounds featuring age-appropriate structures such as seesaws, monkey ladders, tyre-based learning tools, swings, slides, pyramids, walkways, and interactive playhuts.
Speaking during the commissioning and handover ceremony, SELI Founder and Executive Director, Aunty Esther Onyinyechi Mark, said the initiative aims to motivate children to enrol, stay in school, and develop a stronger love for learning.“We believe access to quality education is the fundamental right of every child,” she said. “These playgrounds give children an added reason to come to school. Beyond fun, they serve as instructional materials that teachers can integrate into classroom learning.” She explained that the intervention was designed to boost school attendance and enhance learning outcomes in a region grappling with educational challenges.“
In Northern Nigeria, particularly across the North Central and North East, we have one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children,” she noted. “This is our contribution toward helping children stay in school, feel joy, and develop cognitively, socially, and emotionally. Play is not just play—play is learning.” The playgrounds, she added, support children’s cognitive growth while fostering communication, social interaction, creativity, and critical-thinking skills.The project was implemented through the Reciprocal Exchange Component of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, a U.S. Department of State programme administered by IREX in collaboration with Play360.
Parents, teachers, and community stakeholders expressed gratitude during the handover, noting that the new facilities have brought renewed energy to the learning environment and are expected to influence positive educational outcomes.
