Lagos to Launch $25m Education Fund, Ban Street Hawking During School Hours

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced plans to issue an executive order prohibiting school-age children from roaming the streets during school hours, as part of a broader initiative to tackle the out-of-school children crisis.

The Governor made the announcement on Friday during the launch of the Lagos Education Access Fund (LEAF) and the inauguration of the new Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB).

According to the Governor, the executive order is designed to strengthen accountability among parents and community leaders, ensuring that every child of school age is in the classroom. He stated that no child should be seen outside between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. without a valid reason.

To drive the initiative, Governor Sanwo-Olu unveiled LEAF, a $25 million outcomes-based education fund launched in partnership with the Education Outcomes Fund (EOF) and other development partners. He explained that the programme represents a strategic shift from simply increasing enrolment numbers to focusing on tangible learning outcomes, such as improved literacy, numeracy, and pupil retention.

The fund is expected to benefit over 200,000 children across the state. This includes targeting more than 50,000 out-of-school children aged six to 14 for enrolment through community outreach, while also supporting 150,000 existing pupils to strengthen their foundational learning skills.

“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,” Governor Sanwo-Olu said.

He noted that LEAF builds on the success of Project Zero, a 2021 intervention that has successfully returned over 36,000 children to formal education. He added that the government has also supported more than 360 parents and guardians with vocational training in areas like fashion designing and catering, recognising that family economic stability is crucial for keeping children in school.

The Governor highlighted his administration’s commitment to education infrastructure, stating that more schools and classrooms have been built in the last seven years than 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 Chief Executive Officer of EOF, Amel Karboul, praised Lagos for its bold leadership in adopting an accountability-driven financing model. She noted that this approach shifts the focus from paying for inputs such as buildings and books to paying for verifiable results, ensuring that investments lead to real learning and opportunity.

The event also saw the inauguration of the new LASUBEB board, with Hakeem Shittu appointed as chairman. Mr Shittu pledged the board’s commitment to transparency and to ensuring that every child in Lagos has access to quality basic education. “It is not enough for children to sit in classrooms. They must learn,” he stated.