The founder of the Adunni Foundation, Motunrayo Alaka, has called for a renewed national commitment to basic education as Nigeria marks 66 years of independence. In a statement, she said education is independence, linking the message to the foundation's #Edupendent campaign, launched at the first Basic Education Torchbearers Awards in October 2025. The 2026 edition of the awards will hold in Lagos this month under the theme 'Carrying the Torch: Reimagining Basic Education for Nigeria's Future'. Alaka identified access, learning outcomes, infrastructure, teacher capacity, inequality and school safety as the main challenges facing basic education. She said the campaign will work to reduce the number of out-of-school children and hold government accountable for providing compulsory basic education.