What We Strive For
TCL Initiative was founded with the vision of driving societal change through literature, arts, and
culture by providing educational and social programming resources. The initiative launched in
2013 with the Teecoks Writing Competition for secondary school students in Lagos State,
aiming to enhance the writing skills of Nigeria's younger generation. This competition not only
improves their writing abilities but also exposes them to technology, equipping them with
modern writing skills and introducing them to the world as young writers. The goal is to inspire,
develop, promote, and support students in Nigerian secondary schools who have a passion for
writing, while also fostering a reading and writing culture among students and positively
impacting the community through literature.
The writing competition specifically targets secondary school students because we believe in
the importance of nurturing talent from a young age. This is a pivotal stage where dreams,
aspirations, talents, and passions can be encouraged and cultivated. The inspiration for this
initiative stems from the Founder’s own journey, having won the ANA/NECO (Association of
Nigerian Authors/National Examination Council) award in 2007 as a secondary school student.
The joy and courage to continue writing after this achievement motivated the Founder to extend
the same encouragement to other young writers, ensuring they don’t give up on their passion
but instead develop it further.
Our Mission and Vision
The mission and vision of the writing competition are centered on telling our own stories and nurturing emerging writers and lovers of writing and art, ensuring that these creative expressions continue to thrive in our country. Nigeria has a rich legacy of producing remarkable writers and gifted storytellers, and we are committed to preserving and advancing this tradition, aspiring to achieve even greater heights.
The Initiative
The initiative has also staged plays based on the book Promise of the Future (ISBN:
9789785283846), which has been performed about five times. One of these performances was
used to commemorate World HIV Day, addressing the issue of Prevention of Mother-to-Child
Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV.
Currently, the initiative is working towards establishing a standard community library, driven by
the recognized shortage of books and libraries. This realization came from feedback received
during the yearly creative writing competition and through community visits to schools. TCLI
aims to provide students with access to the books they need, reduce school dropout rates
caused by a lack of reading materials, and create a haven where researchers can find essential
resources. This dream has been achieved through the TCLI Library
