Lagos Pioneers New Pathway For Girls Shut Out of Formal Education Through Alternative School
By Sheriff Salau
In a quiet corner of Agboju Amuwo along Old Ojo Road, a new chapter in Nigeria’s education story began on Friday, 14 August. The nation’s first Alternative Secondary School for Girls was formally commissioned, offering a fresh start to young women whose schooling had been cut short by poverty, early marriage, family hardship or other life interruptions.
The ceremony was led by the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, who was represented by Hajia Nana Shettima, wife of the Vice President. For many of the girls who will walk through these gates, the school is more than a building. It is a second chance.
Designed as a supportive learning environment, the institution will allow students to resume secondary education, gain practical skills and rebuild the confidence needed for further studies or independent livelihoods. Education officials describe it as a deliberate response to a long-standing reality: too many Nigerian girls leave school and never return, their potential quietly set aside.
In her keynote message, Senator Tinubu reaffirmed her commitment to girl-child education and empowerment. She thanked the Lagos State Government for supporting federal efforts and urged that similar alternative high schools be established in every senatorial district across the country. Turning to the students, she offered a simple but firm charge: You can achieve what you want with dedication and resilience. She encouraged them to treat the school as a platform for reclaiming their dreams and preparing to become productive citizens.
Earlier, Lagos State’s Honourable Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, called the project a bold and innovative step. The school, he said, was born from the recognition that disrupted education should not permanently define a girl’s future. By providing an alternative pathway back into formal learning, the institution aims to restore knowledge, skills and self-belief, preparing young women for higher education, entrepreneurship and fuller participation in society.
Commissioner Alli-Balogun praised the Federal Government, the Lagos State Government, the First Lady and the many partners who made the project possible. Their collective effort, he noted, demonstrates that when government and stakeholders act with purpose, no child need be left behind.
As the school opens its doors, it stands as both a practical solution and a quiet statement of intent: that every girl, regardless of the obstacles she has faced, deserves the chance to continue her education and shape her own future.
