As MRL^® enters 2026, the organisation has been recognised as a finalist in the SME Cambridgeshire Business Awards 2026 across three notable categories: the Positive Impact Award, the Best Enterprising Business Award, and the Business Woman of the Year Award. The recognition follows a year in which MRL® continued to strengthen its work in public sector reform, particularly through its education programmes in Niger State, building on the international recognition received in late 2025 when the Transforming Education in Niger State II (TENS II) Programme received the Changemakers Award from the Journalists and Writers Foundation in association with the United Nations Department of Global Communications, on the margins of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The SME Cambridgeshire Business Awards celebrate the achievements of small and medium-sized enterprises across the United Kingdom, recognising organisations that demonstrate innovation, strong leadership, and meaningful social impact across a range of sectors. The 2026 final is scheduled to take place in June, when shortlisted organisations from across Cambridgeshire will be formally recognised for the quality and impact of their work. 

MRL^® was shortlisted for the Positive Impact Award with an application centred on the TENS II Programme, one of the most significant education reform initiatives currently underway in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The programme is focused on improving access, strengthening quality, and enhancing governance across the education system in Niger State.

Through TENS II, MRL^® has supported the Niger State Government in identifying systemic challenges across the education sector and in developing practical, evidence-based responses. This has included large-scale data collection across all 25 Local Government Areas, the development of policy and reform recommendations, and the design and implementation of digital systems such as the Education Personnel Management Information System (EPMIS), among other interventions.

The programme has also contributed to wider reforms in areas such as teacher development, school safety, infrastructure improvement, and expanding access to education, particularly for underserved communities. These efforts reflect MRL^®’s broader commitment to ensuring that policy is not only designed well, but implemented effectively in ways that produce tangible and lasting results.

MRL^® was also recognised in the Business Woman of the Year category, with Dr Roni Ajao, Founder and Executive Director of MRL^®, named as a finalist. This recognition reflects her leadership in shaping and delivering complex public sector programmes, including TENS II, and her continued focus on translating strategy into practical, sustainable outcomes.

Across all three award categories, a common thread is MRL^®’s emphasis on delivering evidence-based reform that strengthens public sector performance and improves outcomes for communities. The recognition from the SME Cambridgeshire Business Awards therefore reflects not only organisational progress, but also the wider significance of programmes such as TENS II and the impact they continue to generate.

As the awards ceremony approaches, this recognition also creates an opportunity to acknowledge the vision of His Excellency Mohammed Umaru Bago, Executive Governor of Niger State, and his commitment to improving the state’s education sector. More broadly, this growing international recognition continues to shine a light on the progress being made in Niger State and the role of collaborative, data-informed reform in supporting long-term sector transformation.