Our Leadership

The leaders building Africa's continental alliance of school leaders.

ASLA is founded and shaped by educators who have spent their careers strengthening schools across Africa. Additional Board of Governors, Regional Representatives and National Coordinators will be announced at our official launch in August 2027.

Founder

ASLA

Founder

Princess O. Akinpelu

Founder · African School Leaders' Association

Princess O. Akinpelu is an education leader, entrepreneur and advocate for educational transformation with more than a decade of experience in school improvement, leadership development and educational innovation.

She is the Founder of the African School Leaders' Association (ASLA), a pan-African professional body established to connect, develop and represent school leaders across the continent. Through ASLA, she is building a collaborative network that empowers school owners, principals and senior education leaders to share best practice, strengthen leadership capacity, influence education policy and foster partnerships that advance educational excellence across Africa.

Alongside her role at ASLA, Princess is the Founder and CEO of Onkar Consult and Co-Founder of Safeticha, an AI-powered school management platform recognised by the World Bank as one of the Top 100 Female-Led Businesses in Africa. She has worked with more than 1,000 schools and educational institutions and trained over 3,000 educators and school leaders across multiple countries.

A sought-after speaker on educational leadership, artificial intelligence in education and school improvement, Princess is passionate about ensuring African school leaders have a stronger voice in global education and access to the knowledge, innovation and partnerships needed to transform learning outcomes across the continent.

10+

Years in education leadership

1,000+

Schools engaged

3,000+

Educators trained

Interim Board of Advisers

Meet our Interim Board of Advisers.

Four experienced education leaders from the West, East and South of Africa provide strategic guidance throughout ASLA's Founding Year, helping to shape the Association's governance, institutional development and future direction.

Interim Board Adviser

John Todd, FRSA, FCCT

Director of Education and Founding Head, Charterhouse Lagos, Nigeria

John Todd is an accomplished international education executive with extensive leadership experience across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the United Kingdom.

He is the Director of Education and Founding Head of Charterhouse Lagos, the first British independent school to open in West Africa, which he has helped develop from concept to a growing international school.

Previously, John served as Regional Director of Schools and Director of Safeguarding at Dulwich College International, providing strategic oversight across multiple schools in China and strengthening safeguarding governance across the group.

With an MBA, a Master's in Organisational Leadership and an MA in Education, John is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Chartered College of Teaching.

He brings to ASLA extensive expertise in institutional development, school governance, safeguarding and leadership, helping to lay strong foundations for a credible and sustainable association.

Interim Board Adviser

Abigirl Mataranyika, MSc

Director and Co-founder, Mutare First Steps Schools, Zimbabwe

Abigirl Mataranyika is a Pan-African development advocate, education entrepreneur and institutional development professional committed to advancing Africa's development through education.

She is the Director and Co-founder of Mutare First Steps Schools in Zimbabwe, where she contributes to strengthening educational provision and leadership.

With an MSc in International Affairs and a Dual Honours Degree in French and Portuguese, Abigirl brings an international perspective and a strong belief in African-led development. Her professional experience with the African Capacity Building Foundation further strengthened her commitment to sustainable, context-driven solutions that create lasting impact.

A passionate advocate for educational transformation and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, she believes African education must develop critical thinkers, innovators and problem-solvers equipped to shape the continent's future.

Abigirl brings to ASLA the valuable perspective of a school co-founder, a Pan-African outlook and a commitment to building institutions that endure.

Interim Board Adviser

Olamitoyosi (Toyosi) Babatunde

Head of School, Pampers Private School, Lagos, Nigeria

Toyosi Babatunde is an accomplished educational leader with extensive experience in school management, curriculum development, teacher development and technology integration.

She is the Head of School at Pampers Private School, Lagos, where she champions team building, staff development and learner-centred educational leadership.

Her impact reaches well beyond her school: she has supported over 1,000 teachers and school leaders through structured mentoring programmes, mentored close to 300 mothers through a dedicated WhatsApp community, and authored nearly 400 weekly articles on parenting and women's empowerment.

Toyosi's professional qualifications include a Master's in Industrial and Personnel Relations, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education and a Higher Certificate in Early Childhood and Montessori. She is also a Licensed Teacher and a Certified Digital Educator, with certification from the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP).

Her leadership and contributions to education have earned her recognition through Women Changing Education Internationally 2026 and participation in the Global Leadership Roundtable. She also serves as Dean of Right Teacher Academy and the Kinesis Leadership Incubation Programme, and is an experienced conference speaker, trainer and facilitator.

A passionate writer and advocate for personal and professional development, Toyosi contributed to Leading with Intent by Andrew Dolloff and is the author of The Lady and Her Purse and Christmas in the Animal Kingdom.

Toyosi brings to ASLA a wealth of practical school leadership experience, a passion for professional development and a proven commitment to empowering educators, supporting families and building communities of learning.

Interim Board Adviser

Mohammed Isabirye, MEd, BAE

Head of School, International School of Gabon

Mohammed Isabirye is an experienced international educational leader with specialist expertise in International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes, school leadership, curriculum development and institutional improvement.

He serves as a school leader at the International School of Gabon, with a focus on the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), and also holds a leadership position at Hilal International Academy in Mogadishu, where his experience spans the PYP, Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP).

Previously, Mohammed served as Head of Curriculum Design and Instruction at Aga Khan Schools, contributing to curriculum planning, assessment development and the alignment of educational programmes with established learning standards.

A strong advocate for inquiry-based learning, academic excellence and student-centred education, he is passionate about empowering teachers, developing high-performing teams and creating inclusive learning environments.

Mohammed brings to ASLA a valuable international perspective spanning Central Africa, East Africa and the Horn of Africa, alongside deep expertise in curriculum and professional development.

Coming in 2027

Board of Governors · Regional Representatives · National Coordinators · Specialist Committees

Nominations open in April 2027. Full leadership will be announced at the official ASLA launch in August 2027.