If There's True Co-creation, There'll be Evidence

Tolulope Olasewere was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. She attended Harvard University for her Bachelor’s Degree, where she studied Government and Philosophy and received a Language Citation in Yoruba.  In her sophomore year of college, Tolulope Co-Founded BUILD Nigeria, a completely free hybrid one-to-one mentorship-based college access program for first-generation and low-income Nigerian youth seeking to apply to colleges and universities globally. Tolulope most recently graduated with a Master’s Degree in International Educational Development from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (PennGSE).

During her time at PennGSE, she served as the Graduate Assistant for the Dean of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging, was chosen as a semi-finalist for the Milken-PennGSE Education Business Plan Competition, and pursued an internship at a leading international nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC called FHI360. Tolulope is passionate about making sure that youth from underrepresented backgrounds have access to high-quality education at all levels and can leverage their educational experiences and other opportunities to pursue the extent of their aspirations. Tolulope enjoys taking long walks, reading, writing poems, volunteering, and listening to music. 

You co-founded Build Nigeria as a young person responding to gaps you personally observed. What moment or experience made you realize that young people do not just belong in education systems but can actively design them?

My interest in education goes back to secondary school. I attended a highly rigorous academic school and was excited to learn, explore new subjects, and discover my interests. But I quickly learned that grades were the most important thing. It felt as though my worth as a student was tied entirely to my exam performance.

I remember in JS3 I had reached the peak of my academic performance, but I remember getting those results and just feeling very empty — like I'm staring at something that everybody around me is telling me, “This is a marker of success, this is education, you're going to a really good private school,” and it just felt empty. I didn’t feel like I was thinking critically or learning in a way that shaped my understanding of the world. I was memorizing. To keep up, I gave up hobbies I loved: playing the piano, swimming, and spending time with family.

That was my first inflection point. I began questioning why we copied notes from projectors when the same content was already in our textbooks, why we weren’t encouraged to discuss ideas, and why having a different opinion felt wrong. While some teachers understood, their mandate was to prepare us for exams.

I began to wonder: if education is meant to change society, drive productivity, and nurture entrepreneurship, can this really be the model that transforms Nigeria?

I found a different kind of education through volunteering. From ages 14–15, I volunteered across nonprofits in Nigeria, including the Down Syndrome Foundation of Nigeria and a sustainability organization called EcoPrune. For the first time, I met people who had a clear sense of purpose, people who connected their education to real-world impact.

BUILD Nigeria became a way to bring those two realities together. It didn’t become a concrete idea until I got to college. I’m still reflecting on the role I want to play in the global education ecosystem.

How has your identity as a young leader shaped the way that you approach education differently from more traditional institutions or policymakers?

Many people believe education will solve everything from workforce development to poverty, civic duties, and democracy. What motivates me most is how education enables young people. It frees them from rigid thinking and helps them imagine different possible lives.

In philosophy, there’s a question: what makes a good life? Education gives people the tools to answer that for themselves.

Growing up, my parents saw me as self-motivated. I followed my interests, but that often felt lonely because nobody asked about my interests. What shaped me most was the informal education I received through volunteering and being around people who believed they could make an impact. That type of environment taught me that when education is done right, it enables young people to believe in themselves and see themselves as capable contributors to society. That belief shapes everything I do.

How did you build credibility while still leading with youth-driven ideas?

Being young can be both an advantage and a challenge. We started BUILD Nigeria in 2020, when everything was virtual. We reached out to people we had never met, asking them to join Zoom calls and share feedback. Almost everyone said yes. Many people are excited to see young people take an interest in their industry; it signals continuity.

But skepticism emerged when we began making real decisions. Some people believed our ideas wouldn’t work unless we followed traditional models. One person even insisted one of us had to move back to Nigeria immediately, despite us still being students. That experience taught me that while most people will support you, not everyone will, and that’s okay.

What helped me build credibility was preparation. I proofread emails, take notes, remember conversations, and respect people’s time. Even when something isn’t working, I’m prepared to explain why and what we’re learning. Preparation builds confidence and signals seriousness. Youth is not a disadvantage when you are thoughtful, grounded, and intentional.

The theme of this year's observance is the power of youth in creating education. What does meaningful co-creation look like in practice beyond including youth as just beneficiaries?

True co-creation means young people have real stakes in decision-making. Many times, institutions ask for feedback but make no visible changes; that’s not genuine involvement.

For co-creation to work, young people’s experiences must influence outcomes, and there must be accountability. If the same complaints persist year after year without change, then co-creation isn’t happening. If there's true co-creation, there'll be evidence that it's actually working. 

There should also be evidence through monitoring, evaluation, and learning that youth input is shaping results. Beyond metrics, there's a different kind of culture that comes as a result of co-creation. Young people feel freer to engage, build relationships, voice opinions, and participate meaningfully.

Nigeria has millions of high-achieving students whose potential is limited by access. What structural barriers do you believe deserve more urgent attention?

One major barrier is the lack of early intervention. By the time many solutions are introduced, the problem is already severe. Research in early childhood education shows that foundational learning shapes long-term outcomes.

The challenge is that early intervention takes time, often takes decades to show results. Leaders prefer short-term, visible wins over long-term investments. While schools may be built or meals provided, the quality of instruction and sustained impact are often overlooked.

On a systemic level, Nigeria needs to invest more seriously in long-term educational solutions that start early and are consistently funded.

What role do you think youth-led organizations like BUILD Nigeria play in addressing inequities that larger systems often overlook or move too slowly to fix?

Youth-led organizations won’t fix Nigeria’s political system, but they can help us move faster through coordination and collaboration. Nigeria has a vibrant civil society, but we struggle with collaboration. Incremental change is slow everywhere, but for countries like Nigeria, coordinated efforts can help us leapfrog. Youth-led organizations bring urgency, innovation, and accountability, even if they aren’t the ultimate solution.

Personally, BUILD Nigeria helps to bridge gaps that the system hasn’t addressed. 

For young women who want to move to actionable insights, contribute to education reform, but feel underqualified or intimidated, what mindset shift would you encourage?

No one starts as an expert. Learning happens by doing and by being around people who know more than you. Humility is essential.

You’ll encounter people who make you feel like you don’t belong. That reflects their mindset, not your worth. No one should feel like an impostor, and if you do, it’s often because the environment was designed that way.

Stay curious, stay open, and seek community. That’s how growth takes place. 

What skills have been most critical for you in building and sustaining Build Nigeria that young women should start developing now?

Balance. BUILD Nigeria has never been my only responsibility. I’ve been a student, worked multiple jobs, volunteered extensively, and managed personal responsibilities all at once.

I learned the hard way that you can’t pour from an empty cup. Burnout taught me that productivity without care leads to low-quality work. To lead well, you need rest, nourishment, joy, and community. You are not a machine. A sustainable life is essential for sustainable impact.

What excites you the most about the future of youth-led education initiatives in Nigeria and across Africa?

I’m excited about collaboration, especially across countries. Not a copy-and-paste solution, but genuine learning across contexts. Understanding why something works in one place before adapting it elsewhere.

BUILD Nigeria exists because people were willing to share openly. That spirit of collaboration, paired with experimentation and learning, is what excites me about the future.

What would you like Bluxies members and young people reading this to remember about their power in shaping education and their own futures?

Sometimes, you will never feel ready for some things. Waiting for readiness can become avoidance. Do what needs to be done, feeling unprepared. Start anyway.

Know who you are, why you’re doing the work, and that you are capable of learning hard things. Say it out loud if you need to. Start with what you have, and everything else will come.

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