The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has revealed plans to sign an executive order prohibiting school-age children from wandering the streets during school hours, as the state prepares to roll out a 25 million dollars outcomes-driven education fund.
Sanwo-Olu made the disclosure on Friday during the launch of the Lagos Education Access Fund (LEAF) and the inauguration of the board of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB).
According to the governor, the proposed directive is aimed at tightening the net on out-of-school children while holding parents, communities and institutions more accountable for ensuring that every child of school age is enrolled and consistently attends classes.
“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,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu explained that the LEAF initiative signals a shift in focus from merely increasing school enrolment figures to ensuring that children actually acquire meaningful education. He noted that access to classrooms must ultimately translate into stronger literacy, numeracy and sustained participation in learning.
Through collaboration with the Education Outcome Fund and other development partners, the state government plans to deploy 25 million dollars in outcomes-based financing to support more than 200,000 children across the state.
The programme, he said, will prioritise the enrolment of over 50,000 out-of-school children aged between six and 14 through targeted community outreach programmes and interventions designed to eliminate barriers preventing children from attending school.
Beyond bringing new pupils into classrooms, the initiative will also support about 150,000 children already enrolled by strengthening literacy and numeracy outcomes so that school attendance translates into tangible academic progress.
“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,” the governor said.
Sanwo-Olu added that the programme builds on the gains of Project Zero, a state intervention launched in 2021 to tackle the growing population of out-of-school children.
“One of our most impactful initiatives in the last 10 years has been Project Zero, through which Lagos has identified, tracked and enrolled more than 36,000 children,” he said.
The governor further revealed that the government had supported more than 360 parents and guardians with vocational training to strengthen family incomes and help sustain children’s education.
Beneficiaries, he said, received training in skills such as fashion designing, soap production, catering and hairdressing, acknowledging that economic stability within families plays a crucial role in keeping children in school.
Sanwo-Olu also highlighted the scale of investment his administration has made in expanding educational infrastructure across the state.
“We have built more schools and classrooms in the last seven years than were built in the previous 20 years,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He cited one school complex where the government is handing over 35 schools with capacity to accommodate nearly 20,000 students, describing the project as evidence of sustained commitment to improving access to education.
The governor stressed that meaningful transformation in the education sector requires collaboration, noting that government alone cannot shoulder the responsibility of securing children’s futures.
He expressed appreciation to partners including the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, the Federal Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Education Outcome Fund for supporting Lagos in driving an ambitious reform agenda.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of the Education Outcome Fund, Amel Karboul, described Lagos as a shining example of bold leadership for adopting an accountability-focused education financing model rarely seen globally.
Karboul, a former minister in Tunisia, said her personal experience growing up in a country that prioritised education shaped her conviction that investing in learning is the most powerful infrastructure any nation can build.
“The most important infrastructure any nation can build is educated minds,” Karboul said.
She praised Lagos for embracing a model that places emphasis on learning outcomes, dignity and measurable results.
According to her, governments often spend heavily on inputs such as school buildings, textbooks and services, yet fail to achieve real outcomes like improved learning, sustained school attendance or long-term employment prospects.
“I have seen so much money spent that does not achieve results.
“Governments can buy goods and services, but for years they could not truly buy outcomes,” she said.
Karboul explained that the Education Outcome Fund was established to reverse that trend by enabling governments and partners to pay specifically for measurable results rather than merely funding activities.
She noted that the initiative, which was launched with backing from former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and impact investment pioneer Ronald Cohen, is already working across several African countries, including Nigeria.
According to her, the Lagos initiative could serve as a model for other states and countries seeking to reform education financing at a time of tightening public resources.
“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 formally inaugurated the board of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, appointing Hakeem Shittu as chairman to oversee the implementation of reforms and strengthen accountability within the state’s basic education system.
Other members of the board include Saheed Ibikunle, Sijuade Idowu-Tiamiyu, Sherifat Adedoyin, Owolabi Falana, Adewale Babatunde, Babatunde Williams and Hakeem Lamidi.
In his acceptance speech, Shittu pledged that the board would consolidate on existing gains while expanding access to quality education and strengthening governance within schools.
“We are deeply honoured by the confidence reposed in us by Mr Governor and the people of Lagos State.
“This board will justify that confidence with dedication, transparency and urgency to ensure every child in Lagos has access to quality basic education and improved learning outcomes,” he said.
He added that the board would concentrate on three priority areas: enrolling vulnerable children in school, improving learning outcomes and ensuring public spending on education delivers measurable results.
“It is not enough for children to sit in classrooms. They must learn. We will support LEAF implementation and ensure education investment produces measurable outcomes,” Shittu said.
