Sanwo-Olu to Ban School-Age Children from Streets During School Hours

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu

Sanwo-Olu to Ban School-Age Children from Streets During School Hours

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced plans to issue an executive order banning school-age children from roaming the streets during school hours in Lagos State, as part of broader reforms aimed at tackling the problem of out-of-school children and improving learning outcomes.

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) in Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu said the planned executive order would reinforce existing education policies and hold parents, guardians, communities and institutions accountable for ensuring children of school age attend classes regularly.

“I will be issuing an executive order to back this up and ensure that we are putting our money where our mouth is.
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.

Alongside the proposed restriction, the Lagos State Government unveiled a $25 million outcomes-based education fund designed to improve school access, retention and measurable learning outcomes for children across the state.

According to the governor, the initiative—implemented in collaboration with the Education Outcomes Fund and development partners—will target more than 200,000 children across Lagos.

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The programme is expected to enrol more than 50,000 out-of-school children aged six to 14 into mainstream education through community outreach and targeted interventions while also supporting 150,000 pupils already in school by strengthening literacy and numeracy outcomes. The plan also aims to address barriers preventing school attendance, including poverty, family instability and limited access to learning resources.

Sanwo-Olu said the initiative represents a shift from focusing solely on enrolment statistics to ensuring real learning outcomes and long-term educational success.

“This initiative is not just about funding education; it is about ensuring every investment translates into real learning, real opportunity and measurable outcomes for our children,” he said.

The governor explained that the programme builds on Project Zero (Lagos education initiative), launched in 2021 to identify and return out-of-school children to classrooms.

According to him, the initiative has already helped reintegrate more than 36,000 children into formal education across the state.

To further support families and sustain school attendance, the Lagos State Government has provided vocational training to more than 360 parents and guardians, equipping them with skills in areas such as fashion design, soap making, catering and hairdressing. The governor said the programme recognises that family economic stability plays a key role in ensuring children remain in school.

Sanwo-Olu also highlighted his administration’s investment in education infrastructure, noting that more schools and classrooms have been built in the past seven years than were constructed in the previous two decades combined.

“In one school complex alone, we are handing over 35 schools with capacity for nearly 20,000 students,” he said, describing the development as evidence of sustained commitment to improving access to education.

Speaking at the event, Amel Karboul, Chief Executive Officer of the Education Outcomes Fund and a former Tunisian minister, praised Lagos for adopting an accountability-driven model of education financing.

Karboul said governments often spend heavily on education inputs such as buildings, books and services without achieving measurable improvements in learning outcomes.

“The most important infrastructure any nation can build is educated minds,” she said.

She explained that the Education Outcomes Fund, established with support from Gordon Brown and impact-investment pioneer Sir Ronald Cohen, focuses on results-based financing where governments and partners pay for measurable outcomes rather than simply funding inputs.

According to her, Lagos is not only launching a programme but also creating a model that other governments in Nigeria and across the world could adopt.

“Lagos is not just launching a programme today; it is creating a blueprint for the world because the future of public finance is about delivering real impact,” she said.

At the event, Sanwo-Olu also inaugurated a new board for LASUBEB, appointing Hakeem Shittu as chairman to strengthen oversight and improve accountability in the state’s basic education system.

Other board members include Saheed Ibikunle, Sijuade Idowu-Tiamiyu, Sherifat Adedoyin, Owolabi Falana, Adewale Babatunde, Babatunde Williams, and Hakeem Lamidi.

Sanwo-Olu emphasised that meaningful progress in education cannot be achieved by government alone, stressing that strong partnerships, shared responsibility and community collaboration remain essential to securing the future of children in Lagos.