Sanwo-Olu Announces Executive Order to Tackle Out of School Children
Kehinde Adeleye
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced plans to sign an executive order aimed at preventing school-age children from roaming the streets during school hours as part of efforts to strengthen school attendance across Lagos.
The governor made the disclosure on Friday during the launch of the Lagos Education Access Fund (LEAF) and the inauguration of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board.
Sanwo-Olu said the proposed executive order would reinforce the government’s commitment to ensuring that every school-age child is in class during learning hours.
According to him, children should not be seen on the streets between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. unless there is a valid reason for their absence from school.
“I will be issuing an executive order to back this up and ensure that we are putting our money where our mouth is,” the governor said.
The governor explained that the LEAF programme represents a shift in the state’s education strategy from focusing mainly on increasing school enrolment to ensuring that pupils achieve measurable learning outcomes.
He noted that enrolling children in school alone is not enough unless it leads to improved literacy, numeracy and sustained retention within the education system.
Sanwo-Olu revealed that Lagos State, working with the Education Outcomes Fund and other development partners, plans to invest $25 million in an outcomes-based education programme.
The initiative is expected to benefit more than 200,000 children across the state.
As part of the programme, more than 50,000 out-of-school children aged between 6 and 14 will be enrolled into the formal education system through targeted community outreach and interventions designed to remove barriers to school attendance.
In addition, about 150,000 pupils already enrolled in schools will receive support aimed at strengthening literacy and numeracy skills to ensure that classroom attendance leads to meaningful learning outcomes.
“This initiative is not just about funding education; it is about ensuring that every investment translates into real learning, real opportunity and measurable outcomes for our children,” Sanwo-Olu stated.
The governor also noted that the programme builds on the achievements of Project Zero, an intervention launched in 2021 to address the challenge of out-of-school children in the state.
According to him, the initiative has helped the state identify, track and enrol more than 36,000 children who were previously out of school.
Sanwo-Olu added that the planned executive order will strengthen ongoing efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children while promoting greater responsibility among parents, communities and institutions involved in ensuring that every child receives basic education.
