The recent demolition of homes and schools in Lagos communities of Otumara and Baba Ijora has triggered a surge in the number of out-of-school children, contradicting the Lagos State Government's Project Zero initiative aimed at ensuring no child is left behind. The forced evictions, carried out in March 2025, have left many families homeless and struggling to meet basic needs, forcing children into hawking and labor instead of attending school.
Evictions Disrupt Education
Chinonso Nwibo, a 15-year-old former student of Ilogbo Junior Secondary School, now hawks puff-puff on the streets during school hours. His dream of studying engineering has been put on hold after his family's home in Otumara was demolished. 'When the news got to our school that the government had started demolishing houses, there was nobody at home,' Chinonso said. He rushed home to salvage belongings and never returned to school. His school was also later demolished, and his mother relocated to the southeast, leaving him to fend for himself.
Similarly, Faith Paul, a Basic Three pupil at Banjo Nursery and Primary School, now helps her mother cook and hawk goods instead of attending classes. 'My parents asked me to discontinue schooling for now until we get an accommodation,' she said. Her mother added, 'Of what good is going to school at this time, considering our living conditions?'
Abdullahi Abdusomod, a Junior Secondary School 3 student, has also dropped out. His family relocated to Ogun State after the demolition but returned to Otumara due to financial difficulties. 'My mother said there are no funds to enroll me in another school,' he explained. His mother, Olaide, said her priority is finding money to eat and rent a decent apartment.
Public and Private Schools Demolished
Three public schools—Ilogbo Junior Secondary School, Ebenezer Nursery and Primary School, and Banjo Nursery and Primary School—were demolished. A resident, Akeem Abayomi, claimed the schools were destroyed after evictees sought temporary shelter there. Additionally, seven private schools were razed, including Amazing Grace Nursery and Primary School, Ayilara Precious Nursery and Primary School, and Heritage Nursery and Primary School.
Ayilara Precious Nursery and Primary School was a unique no-fee school serving about 70 pupils, providing free textbooks, uniforms, and bags. The head teacher, Kudirat Sunmonu, said the school relied on a major funder who was devastated by the demolition. 'When our funder heard about the incident, his high blood pressure rose abnormally,' she said. She has since lost contact with the pupils' families.
Project Zero Contradictions
The Lagos State Government's Project Zero, launched in 2020, aims to track and reintegrate out-of-school children. However, data inconsistencies raise questions. While the Commissioner for Basic Education claimed 30,000 children were reintegrated between 2024 and April 2025, a LASUBEB official stated only about 17,000 had returned since 2020. The evictions have exacerbated the problem, with many children now roaming the streets.
Co-founder of Rethinking Cities, Deji Akinpelu, criticized the lack of a concrete plan for displaced children. 'When demolitions happen without proper resettlement and education plans, children pay the highest price. Development that pushes children out of school is not progress; it is a setback,' he said.
Psychologist Dr. Johnson Ibidapo warned of long-term consequences, including post-traumatic stress disorder, increased dropout rates, and future insecurity. 'Many of them will have traumatized childhoods, making them problematic adults,' he said.
Government Silence
Efforts to get responses from Lagos State officials were unsuccessful. The Education Secretary of Lagos Mainland Local Council declined to provide data, calling it classified. The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, requested a physical meeting but later failed to respond to written questions. The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA) also declined to comment.
The land in Otumara and Baba Ijora has been acquired by Breeze Luxury Homes Limited, which plans to develop Metro View Estate. The estate's advertised amenities include a swimming pool, fitness center, and cinema, but no schools. This aligns with findings from the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC) report, which noted that Lagos' political economy is characterized by godfatherism and wealth distribution through personal networks.
The ACRC report also highlighted that forced evictions have increased poverty through loss of housing and livelihoods, and there is limited supply of affordable housing. The demolition of schools and displacement of children undermine the vision to transform Lagos into a model megacity, according to Dr. Olumuyiwa Adegun of ACRC. 'Schools built with government resources should not be removed for private real estate development,' he said.
As families struggle to rebuild their lives, the educational future of hundreds of children remains uncertain. The promise of Project Zero rings hollow for those now living under bridges and in makeshift shelters, where the priority is survival, not schooling.
