Across Africa, access to quality education remains a challenge, yet Dr. Victor Basola is changing that reality through Kingston Free Mission Schools. Built on the belief that every child deserves a chance to learn and grow, the school provides free education to children in underserved communities across Nigeria. By combining academics with meals, uniforms, textbooks, and mentorship, Dr. Basola equips students to build confidence, explore their talents, and pursue their dreams. He is shaping young minds to become innovators, leaders, and problem-solvers.
In this feature of Young and Diplomatic, Dr. Basola shares the story behind Kingston Free Mission Schools located in Akute in the South West of Nigeria, the role of Aaron and Hur Publishing in giving African authors a platform to share their ideas, and the ways technology can open doors to learning across the continent. From supporting more than 500 authors to creating tech-enabled classrooms, his work shows how education, creativity, and vision can come together to expand opportunity and transform lives.
Readers will see how Dr. Basola turns personal experience into meaningful action, builds partnerships that extend impact, and encourages young Africans to take bold steps toward their goals. This conversation offers a window into his approach, revealing how one individual can shape the future of education, empower communities, and inspire a generation ready to reach further.
Kingston Free Mission Schools provides free quality education to underserved communities. What inspired you to take on this mission, and what has been the most rewarding outcome so far?
Kingston Free Mission Schools was founded on a simple but unshakable belief: every child deserves dignity, opportunity, and a fair chance in life, no matter where they are born or what their parents can afford. As a young boy in Warri, in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria, I witnessed gifted children limited not by their ability, but by the circumstances around them. Education, even then, appeared to me as a bridge that could liberate destinies.
My own childhood sharpened that conviction. I was born at a time when my parents were still finding their feet financially. I remember standing among children sent home because school fees were delayed, and I recall the sting of that momentary shame. If such a brief embarrassment could weigh so heavily on a child, how much deeper must the pain be for those who cannot attend school at all?
I promised myself that, if blessed with the means, I would one day help ensure that no child felt barred from learning. With divine faith, that promise has begun to take form. Kingston Free Mission Schools did not arise from convenience or abundance. In truth, when my wife and I stepped forward to begin this work, it was not the most comfortable time financially. Yet the calling was clear. This mission is born of faith and compassion, and it is guided by a belief that every African child deserves access to education without fear, stigma, or limitation. I did not simply choose free education. In many ways, free education chose me.
We did not have the financial capacity when we began. Even so, we took the first step in faith, and our conviction, which gradually brought partners and supporters, little by little, until we reached where we are today. Four years on, we remain grateful that we obeyed the call when we did.
At our School, we do more than provide free education. We offer hope, meals, uniforms, books, and a sense of belonging. Some of our most meaningful moments come from watching confidence return to a child who once felt overlooked. When a student who once struggled begins to read with strength or dream without fear, we see transformation taking root. Hearing parents share that their children now wake up joyful and eager for school is deeply moving. Our greatest joy is hearing these young minds speak of becoming doctors, innovators, missionaries, authors, and leaders. We are not merely running a school; we are nurturing future nation-builders and restoring the belief that every child can rise.
Your work blends education, publishing, and community empowerment. How do you ensure each initiative complements the other in driving sustainable impact?
To build a renewed continent, we must build minds, voices, and systems. That is the link between education, publishing, and empowerment. The school forms the next generation intellectually and morally. Our publishing arm, Aaron and Hur Publishing, preserves knowledge and strengthens African voices so wisdom can endure and expand.
Our outreach programs support families spiritually and socially, helping create stable environments in which children can grow. All efforts serve one purpose: guiding people from mere survival to meaningful purpose. We offer education for today and a legacy for tomorrow. Children learn, parents regain hope, and authors record experiences that inspire and instruct others.
This is a model of holistic development, nurturing thinkers, writers, innovators, and leaders through faith, sound learning, and equal opportunity. Across every initiative, we are strengthening capacity, shaping character, and building community.
Over 500 authors have benefited from your luxury publishing model. In your view, how does empowering individuals to tell their stories contribute to broader societal development?
Every book is a seed, and every author plants ideas that influence hearts, cultures, and nations. When we support authors and leaders in shaping their stories and insights into published work, we safeguard African excellence and inspire tomorrow’s thinkers. More than 500 authors have passed through our publishing platform, emerging not only as writers but as voices capable of shaping public thought. Their books continue to mentor, teach, heal, and empower long after events and speeches fade.
Books do endure; they spark movements, guide reform, and influence culture. To strengthen voices is to improve society’s ability to think, imagine, and advance. When a child reads a book written by a leader from their own continent, it stirs possibilities. The written word remains a force for nation-building. By elevating writers, we protect heritage, broaden imagination, and help kindle a new wave of awakening across Africa and beyond.
Holistic support- meals, uniforms, and learning materials – is central to your school’s model. Why is this comprehensive approach critical for the success of your students?
A hungry child cannot focus, and a worried child struggles to dream. This is why we do more than teach. We feed, clothe, equip, and welcome each child as our own. Poverty can rob children of confidence and stability, so we remove every barrier between them and the chance to excel. Our pupils receive nutritious meals each day, free uniforms and shoes, and textbooks and notebooks prepared with care.
When the school first opened, we noticed that many children, though enrolled, could not concentrate because they were hungry. That reality made it clear that academic support alone was not enough. Daily meals became part of our vision from that point forward.
This approach restores dignity and offers our children the sense of pride one might see in a well-resourced private school. When a child sits in class free from shame, anxiety, or hunger, learning becomes natural and their future feels within reach. The light in their eyes when we introduced meals, and the continued joy we see four years later, confirms we made the right choice. Feeding them is not charity. It is careful investment in the future. We hope these young learners will grow into doctors, teachers, engineers, missionaries, innovators, and responsible global citizens. If we prepare them in full today, the world will feel the benefit in the years to come.
Technology-driven learning centers are part of your expansion vision. How do you see tech innovation transforming access to education across Africa?
Technology has the power to bridge gaps that once took generations to close. Our vision for technology-enabled learning centers across Africa is rooted in a simple truth: every child deserves a window to the world. With digital tools, a student in a community like Akute can study coding, languages, robotics, research, and entrepreneurship with the same confidence as a child in London or New York.
Digital access does more than improve learning. It shifts Africa from passive consumption to active creation. It nurtures innovators rather than spectators. It turns curiosity into solutions and talent into leadership. I am convinced that some of Africa’s future scientists, inventors, and reformers are already seated in classrooms like ours. What they require is not charity, but access.
When we give a child the tools to explore, build, and imagine, we are not only shaping a student. We are strengthening a continent and preparing a generation that will shape global progress.
Partnerships are vital to scaling social impact. What qualities do you look for in organizations or individuals seeking to collaborate with Kingston Free Mission Schools?
We look for partners who understand that educating the African child is a foundation for the continent’s future. Our aim is to work with those guided not by charity appearances, but by sincere compassion and a commitment to measurable progress. Integrity, transparency, long-term dedication, and respect for human dignity remain central to our values.
We welcome individuals and institutions that view Africa not as a place in need of rescue, but as a rising center of global development. Partnership goes far beyond financial support. Mentorship, platforms that help share our story, technical expertise, and opportunities to scale our work carry equal weight.
Our doors are open to global leaders, corporate bodies, faith-based organizations, and community builders who want to invest in lasting change. Strong partnerships bring structure, sustainability, and innovation. When purpose aligns with shared values, impact becomes enduring. Together, we can help ensure that every African child grows with access to opportunity and a future they can shape with pride.
Many young Africans aspire to create change but face resource and opportunity gaps. What advice would you give them about translating vision into action?
Dream boldly, start humbly, and move consistently. You do not need all the resources to begin. Believe in yourself and do not fear or feel ashamed to start small, even when others doubt you or your vision.
What you need is conviction, discipline, and faith. While waiting for the big opportunity, serve where you are, build your skills, and take small steps every day. God opens doors for those who act with purpose, courage, and integrity. Seek knowledge, nurture relationships, and refuse to let limitations define you. Fail quickly, learn fast, and keep moving forward. Create impact first; recognition will follow.
Africa needs your ideas, your innovation, your courage, and your dedication to purpose. Don’t wait for permission, start with what you have, right where you are. Take action, and watch how circumstances align when you refuse to quit. The future is not waiting for perfect people; it is waiting for prepared and persistent builders. Go where God sends you, do what you can now, and the world will adjust to your greatness. You will make mistakes; I have made mine, but they will teach you, and you will learn quickly.
Learn also to forge strategic alliances with those who come into your path. This is crucial if you aim to carry a vision larger than yourself. Stay focused, stay courageous, and keep building.
