Slum2School Green Academy, a charity-run school in Lagos state built with bamboo, has been named among the top 10 finalists worldwide for the 2026 World's Best School Prize for Environmental Action. The recognition, disclosed by The Punch, was announced by T4 Education on Thursday, June 26. T4 Education runs the World's Best School Prizes, a global award celebrating schools making a major impact in environmental action, innovation, and community development.
School Built to Solve Riverine Education Challenge
Located in Saga, a remote riverine community in Epe, Lagos state, the academy was created to address the education challenges faced by children in isolated water-locked communities. Before its establishment, many children had to travel long distances by canoe to access formal education. The academy now serves 250 children from eight riverine communities, providing a learning environment that combines classroom education with practical environmental activities. The school uses an inquiry-based and hands-on learning model, which organisers said has helped some pupils make up to three years of learning progress within a single academic year.
Why the Lagos School Stands Out
The academy was built with locally sourced bamboo and wood and operates as a climate-friendly school. It runs entirely on solar energy, collects rainwater, and uses waste-to-biogas technology to produce clean cooking gas. The school generates about 28,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity yearly, harvests up to 160,000 litres of rainwater annually, and produces about 1,400 cubic metres of clean cooking gas through its waste systems. Students are also involved in environmental activities such as gardening, composting, recycling, and turning water hyacinth into useful products that can be sold.
Learning Results and Community Impact
T4 Education said the school has recorded improvements among its students. According to the organisation, 96 per cent of students improved by at least one literacy level, while more than 70 per cent made progress in numeracy. It also said more than 90 per cent of pupils are now reading at or close to their expected grade level, despite many starting with little or no basic learning skills. Beyond the students, the school's programmes have reached more than 700 families through clean water access, sanitation support, and environmental awareness activities.
Global Competition Continues
Founder of T4 Education and the World's Best School Prizes, Vikas Pota, congratulated Slum2School Green Academy on reaching the final stage. “Congratulations to Slum2School Green Academy on being shortlisted for the fifth annual World's Best School Prizes. It has been shown that Nigeria’s schools truly stand among the best in the world,” he was quoted as saying. The World's Best School Prizes recognise schools in five categories: Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives. The winners will be chosen by an expert judging panel, while all 50 shortlisted schools across the categories will compete for the Community Choice Award through a public vote. The top three finalists and winners are expected to be announced in November 2026. Slum2School Green Academy and other selected schools will later attend the World Schools Summit in London, United Kingdom, scheduled for January 16–17, 2027, where they will share their experiences with education leaders and policymakers from around the world.
