By Khalid Idris Doya
The chief executive officer of the World Energy Council (WEC), Dr. Bala Maijama’a Wunti, has described education as the pathway to opportunity, saying every child deserves access to quality education irrespective of their background.
Wunti stated this while speaking virtually at a community stakeholder engagement forum organised by the Wunti Al-Khair Foundation (WAKF) to shape the future of Wunti International Academy (WIA) in Bauchi metropolis.
The engagement held at Event Center Bauchi, which attracted more than 100 participants, brought together parents, religious and traditional leaders, government officials, educators and community representatives to deliberate on the future direction of the proposed academy ahead of its planned opening in September 2026.
Wunti, who is the founder of WAKF, said the establishment of the school in his ancestral community was driven by a desire to give back to the community and create greater educational opportunities for children.
He said, "Education is the pathway to opportunity. Every child deserves a good education."
Explaining his motivation for establishing the school in the Wunti community, Bala Wunti said his own educational journey had played a major role in his professional achievements.
“There are several factors. Of course, we know the first one is destiny; it is Allah’s wish. But Allah’s wish should have a pathway. For me, that pathway is education.
"If I had not had the opportunity to be educated, I am not sure I would be standing here speaking to you on this subject today. The truth is that I am privileged, extremely privileged,bto have been educated, and that has made all the difference," he said.
Wunti, a former Chief Upstream Investment Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), said he was particularly proud of rising from a humble background in Wunti to become an international figure and pioneer Chief Executive Officer of the World Energy Council.
"Someone from Wunti is now an international figure. What I want is for our children to be recognised in a better way than I have been recognised. My thinking is that the only way we can achieve that is to ensure that the education our children and grandchildren receive is even better than what we received," he said.
According to him, WAKF had spent more than five years working towards establishing a school in the community, describing the process as challenging but worthwhile.
"This is the very reason why, for over five years, we have been looking for an opportunity to build a school in our community. It has been tough. It has required resilience and consistency.
"That consistency is finally about to be rewarded with an international, world-class primary school in the heart of our community, behind our house," he said.
Wunti explained that the decision to establish the school in Wunti was not motivated by profit, but by the need to address the educational needs of the community.
"Many of my friends have asked me, why are you putting this school here? Don’t we have schools like this in Bauchi? Why do you have to put it in Wunti?
"Many of them perhaps think that this school is being built for profit. Absolutely not.
"Anybody who thinks that we are here to make a profit from educating children needs to have a rethink. This is about giving back to our community and creating opportunities for our children," he added.
He noted that Wunti, despite being one of the oldest communities in Bauchi and the location of the first primary school in the city, had experienced significant population growth without a corresponding expansion of educational facilities.
According to him, many families are now forced to arrange transportation for their children to attend schools outside the community.
"Today, you cannot simply give a child a bicycle and expect everything to be fine. The circumstances have changed. That is why we still want another school in our community, so that children do not have to trek hundreds of metres to get to school," he said.
However, Wunti stressed that Wunti International Academy would not be restricted to residents of the community, saying children from across Bauchi would be welcome.
"We want a school that will be open to everybody from Bauchi, regardless of your background or where you live. You can choose to bring your child here, and that child will receive a world-class education.
"We want the education provided here to be of such a standard that a child from Wunti can compete with a child in the United States of America, Dubai, the United Kingdom or anywhere else in the world.
"We want the children of this school to be able to compete with everybody in the world," he said.
The WEC chief executive said WAKF would continue working to expand access to quality education in the community and Bauchi State.
He disclosed that the school management and education specialists were examining the technology, facilities and systems required to position the academy alongside leading schools in cities such as New York, Singapore, Dubai and London.
He also called on stakeholders to be transparent and actively participate in determining the future direction of the academy.
"I am therefore requesting all of you to be very transparent and to help us decide how this school should move forward.
"I would say that about 99 per cent of the work has been completed. The remaining one per cent consists largely of the residual aesthetics and finishing touches that we are putting together, as well as the curriculum that we are going to implement," he said.
Wunti said the opening of the school would not be rushed if the necessary decisions had not been concluded, stressing that stakeholders must take ownership of the institution.
"If we are not able to make the necessary decisions, we will delay the opening of the school until we are all ready to take ownership of it," he said.
He further noted that the Wunti community had produced several prominent educationists, including principals, headmasters and lecturers, describing the community as one with a strong educational heritage.
He said the school, which would be known as Wunti International Academy, was being developed as a community institution.
Earlier, Bashir Wunti, who delivered the welcome address, said the purpose of the engagement was not to present a completed institution to the community but to listen to stakeholders and incorporate their views into the development of the academy.
"We came into this forum not to present a finished school, but to listen. What we heard today confirmed that this community has clear, practical ideas about what a school like this should deliver, and we intend to act on them," he said.
The discussions focused on three key areas. How to maximise the academy as a community asset, how to operate it as a financially sustainable institution, and how to jointly determine the educational outcomes the community wants for its children.
The forum was facilitated by Ango Mustapha, Director of Programmes at Wunti Al-Khair Foundation.
Mustapha said the discussions produced concrete recommendations covering affordable fee structures, waqf-based subsidy support for underserved families, religious and cultural alignment, as well as extracurricular and community-focused programmes.
He said the recommendations were presented to the full assembly, alongside WAKF’s initial response on issues that would be implemented immediately and those requiring further consideration.
The engagement also featured the formal introduction of the academy’s Head of School to the community and the nomination of community representatives to serve on the WIA School Board.
According to the organisers, the development is intended to ensure that the community has a direct voice in the governance and future development of the academy.
“This is not the end of the conversation; it’s the start of a relationship,” Mustapha said.
He added that the recommendations would guide the finalisation of the school’s fee structure, educational outcomes and broader role in the community.
WAKF said the contributions from the engagement would be consolidated into a Stakeholder Input Report, while a standing Parent-Community Advisory Committee would also be established to sustain community participation beyond the school’s opening.
Wunti International Academy is expected to open for admissions in September 2026 and will offer education from Preschool through Year 6, with phased expansion planned through the 2030/31 academic year.
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