Lagos State has unveiled an ambitious plan to tackle one of the most persistent challenges in the education sector: children who remain outside the classroom. Through a newly introduced programme known as the Lagos Education Access Fund (LEAF), the state government aims to enrol 50,000 out-of-school children into formal education while also strengthening learning outcomes across public schools.
The initiative was formally introduced on Friday at Lagos House, Marina, where Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu outlined the vision behind the programme. According to a statement by Abe Adunola, Director of Public Affairs at the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, the intervention represents a major step in the state’s effort to ensure that every child has access to free and quality basic education.
Education, the governor noted during the launch, remains one of the most powerful drivers of social mobility, human capital development, and economic growth. For a rapidly expanding state like Lagos, he stressed, investing in children’s learning is essential to building a sustainable future.
At the heart of the programme is a $25 million outcomes-based education fund, designed to support approximately 200,000 children across communities in the state. Of that number, 50,000 out-of-school children aged between six and 14 will be enrolled into formal schooling. Another 150,000 pupils already attending public schools will benefit from strengthened programmes focused on improving foundational literacy and numeracy.
The new intervention builds on earlier efforts under Project Zero, a campaign launched in 2021 to identify and reintegrate children who had dropped out of school. Since the initiative began, more than 36,000 children have already returned to classrooms across Lagos.
Beyond classroom access, the programme also seeks to address the socio-economic realities that often keep children away from school. As part of the effort, over 360 parents and guardians have received training in vocational and livelihood skills, including fashion designing, catering, soap making, and hairdressing, enabling them to better support the education of their children.
Officials say the initiative fits into the broader development framework of the state government, particularly the THEMES+ Development Agenda, whose priorities include strengthening education and technology as key pillars for building a knowledge-driven society.
The programme is supported by several international and institutional partners, some of which includes; Education Outcomes Fund, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, the Federal Ministry of Education, and Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The governor expressed appreciation for their collaboration and also commended the leadership of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board for advancing reforms in basic education.
Speaking earlier at the event, Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, described the Lagos Education Access Fund as a strategic intervention designed to strengthen the state’s education ecosystem and accelerate children’s access to quality learning.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Education Outcomes Fund, Dr Amel Karboul, highlighted what makes the programme distinctive: a results-based financing model. Instead of funding inputs such as textbooks or teachers’ salaries, the system focuses on measurable outcomes.
According to Karboul, funding will be tied to verifiable indicators such as school enrolment, retention, and completion, ensuring that both out-of-school children and those already enrolled receive meaningful educational support. Technology and data monitoring systems will also be deployed to track progress and confirm that children remain in school and benefit from effective learning.
Additional backing for the programme comes from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, whose Director, Eunice Ogolo, announced a $10 million contribution toward the initiative. She emphasised the urgency of addressing the persistent challenge of children who are either outside the school system or not learning effectively.
“When children are not in school or are not learning effectively, their future potential becomes limited,” Ogolo said, while praising Lagos State for embracing results-driven solutions to improve learning outcomes.
The Lagos Education Access Fund represents both an education reform effort and a social intervention and by combining targeted enrolment, improved learning support, community participation, and results-based funding, the programme aims to move Lagos closer to a future where every child gains the literacy and numeracy skills needed to thrive.
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