AW
INITIALIZING THE ARCHIVE
ALISTAIR WREN
LAGOS / LONDONPUBLIC ARCHIVE / 2026
PROJECT / 002

OPEN DOORS

2020–2026Lagos · Ibadan · NairobiEXPANDING
THE QUESTION

What keeps capable students out of the classrooms that would change their trajectory?

THE RESPONSE

A scholarship and school-placement programme that removes the specific, unglamorous obstacles — application fees, transport, documentation — that quietly end promising educations before they begin.

THE NUMBERS
0
Students placed
0
Partner schools
0
Cities
0%
Completion rate
0
Scholarships active
2020

Idea

Conversations with secondary-school teachers in Lagos surfaced a pattern: strong students were withdrawing not from a lack of ability but from paperwork and fees.
2021

Pilot

A first cohort of 120 students received full placement support, including document preparation and transport stipends.
2023

Expansion

The model added partner schools in Ibadan and, later, Nairobi, alongside a tracking system for completion rather than enrolment alone.
2025

National programme

Open Doors formalised partnerships with regional ministries of education to standardise the placement process.
2026

Phase III

The current phase adds post-placement mentorship, addressing a rise in early withdrawals during the first term.
Students placed3,200
Partner schools64
Cities11
Completion rate91%
Scholarships active1,400
PDF
Programme Overview
2026 · 11 pages
PDF
2026 Impact Summary
2026 · 19 pages
PDF
Placement Handbook
2024 · 27 pages
PDF
Project Timeline
2026 · 5 pages
PDF
Evaluation Report
2025 · 36 pages
RELATED WORK
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