Aisha Garba says the rehabilitated Lagos school offers girls and young women a vital second chance to return to education

The Universal Basic Education Commission Executive Secretary, Dr Aisha Garba, has called for greater opportunities for girls and young women whose education has been interrupted, as UBEC formally commissioned the rehabilitated Alternative High School for Girls in Agboju, Lagos State, on Saturday, August 15, 2026.

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Garba said the upgraded facility represented more than an infrastructure project, describing it as a renewed opportunity for girls who had been forced out of conventional schooling by difficult circumstances.

“A girl whose circumstances prevented her from completing her education should be given another opportunity. Every child deserves an alternative pathway to acquire the education they deserve to succeed in life,” she said.

The intervention comes against the backdrop of persistent barriers to education in Nigeria, including poverty, school dropout, displacement, early marriage, pregnancy and family responsibilities.

For many girls affected by those circumstances, returning to a conventional school can be difficult. Alternative learning pathways therefore offer an important route back into education, skills development and economic participation.

Garba said the rehabilitated UBEC Agboju school was established to give girls and young women the opportunity to resume learning, acquire practical skills and build productive futures.

“Let this not simply be a place where girls attend classes. Let it be a place where hope is restored, confidence is built and the future is renewed,” she said.

The rehabilitation covered a broad range of facilities, including classrooms, furniture for pupils, teachers and school managers, information and communication technology equipment, laboratory and vocational equipment, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure.

Environmental improvements were also carried out as part of the intervention.

Garba said the investment reflected UBEC’s wider commitment to inclusive education and ensuring that children facing difficult circumstances were not excluded from opportunities to develop their abilities.

She noted that children affected by conflict, displacement and other social challenges continued to have dreams and talents that deserved institutional support.

“We believe that investment in education should be visible, not only in figures and reports, but in the classrooms where children learn, in the facilities they use and, most importantly, in the lives they are able to transform,” Garba said.

The facility has now been formally handed over to the Lagos State Government, with Garba urging the state authorities and the Agboju community to protect the infrastructure and ensure that it continues to serve its intended beneficiaries.

UBEC is also expanding the alternative education model in Lagos. Garba disclosed that a second Alternative High School for Girls in Ikorodu was at an advanced stage of completion.

She further announced that UBEC would provide the Agboju school with a bus and digital smart boards before the end of 2026.

The additional support is expected to strengthen mobility and digital learning opportunities for students and teachers.

Garba, however, stressed that the ultimate test of the project would not be the appearance of the rehabilitated school but what happens to the girls who pass through its gates.

“The true measure of our success will be the girl who walks through these gates and discovers that she still has a future,” she said.

Garba added that success would also be reflected in girls who acquired skills, secured employment, established businesses or eventually became leaders in their communities.

The Federal Government has increasingly focused on access, retention and learning outcomes as it seeks to address the country’s large population of vulnerable and out-of-school children.

Garba linked the Agboju intervention to the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, which seeks to improve the quality of education while widening access and reducing exclusion.

She also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritising education and human capital development under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Garba praised First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu for her commitment to the education and empowerment of girls and young women. The First Lady was represented at the commissioning by the wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima.

For the girls the school is designed to serve, the intervention offers something more enduring than renovated classrooms. It provides a practical route back into learning for those whose circumstances once interrupted their education.

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As the school begins another chapter under the Lagos State Government, its lasting impact will ultimately depend on whether the new facilities translate into stronger educational outcomes, useful skills and genuine opportunities for the girls who walk through its doors.