The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced plans to sign an executive order that will prohibit school-age children from roaming the streets during school hours as part of a broader strategy to tackle the challenge of out-of-school children.
The governor made the announcement on Friday during the launch of the Lagos Education Access Fund (LEAF) and the inauguration of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB).
According to Sanwo-Olu, the proposed executive order will strengthen enforcement against truancy and ensure greater accountability among parents, communities and institutions responsible for children’s education.
“No child should be seen outside between 8.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. unless there is a very good reason that child is not in school,” the governor said.
As part of the initiative, Lagos will deploy a $25 million outcomes-based education fund in partnership with the Education Outcome Fund (EOF) and other development partners. The programme is designed to improve learning outcomes and increase school attendance across the state.
The governor explained that the initiative will support more than 200,000 children statewide. This includes enrolling over 50,000 out-of-school children aged six to 14 into the formal education system through community outreach and targeted interventions.
Additionally, about 150,000 pupils already in school will benefit from programmes aimed at strengthening literacy and numeracy skills, ensuring that classroom attendance translates into measurable learning outcomes.
Sanwo-Olu noted that the programme builds on Project Zero, an initiative launched in 2021 to address the problem of out-of-school children in Lagos. According to him, the programme has already helped return more than 36,000 children to formal education.
Beyond returning children to classrooms, the governor said the state government has also provided vocational training for more than 360 parents and guardians, equipping them with skills such as fashion designing, soap making, catering and hairdressing to improve household income and sustain children’s education.
Sanwo-Olu further highlighted the administration’s investment in education infrastructure, stating that Lagos has built more schools and classrooms in the last seven years than were constructed in the previous two decades.
“In one school complex alone, we are handing over 35 schools with capacity for close to 20,000 students,” he said.
The governor also stressed that meaningful progress in education requires collaboration between government, development partners and communities.
Speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer of the Education Outcome Fund, Amel Karboul, described Lagos as an example of bold leadership in education reform.
Karboul said the outcomes-based financing model adopted by the state focuses on measurable results rather than simply funding infrastructure or services.
“The most important infrastructure any nation can build is educated minds,” she said, noting that LEAF could become a global model for education financing that links funding directly to learning outcomes.
During the ceremony, Sanwo-Olu also inaugurated the board of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, appointing Dr. Hakeem Shittu as chairman.
Other members of the board include Dr. Saheed Ibikunle, Mrs. Sijuade Idowu-Tiamiyu, Dr. Sherifat Adedoyin, Mr. Owolabi Falana, Mr. Adewale Babatunde, Mr. Babatunde Williams, and Mr. Hakeem Lamidi.
In his acceptance speech, Shittu pledged that the board would focus on expanding access to education, strengthening school governance and ensuring that public spending on education delivers measurable results.
“It is not enough for children to sit in classrooms. They must learn,” he said. “We will ensure education investment produces real outcomes for every child in Lagos.”
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