Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has commissioned the rehabilitated First Alternative High School for Girls in Agboju, Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos State, as part of efforts to provide young women who experienced interruptions in their education with opportunities to return to school and acquire vocational skills.
The school, established in 2007 during Tinubu’s tenure as First Lady of Lagos State, was designed to support girls whose education had been disrupted by early pregnancy, economic hardship and other socio-economic challenges.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Friday at Agboju, Oriade Local Council Development Area, Tinubu, who was represented by the wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, said no girl or woman should be denied the opportunity to fulfil her potential because of circumstances beyond her control.
She commended the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for rehabilitating and equipping the school, describing the project as a significant investment in the education and empowerment of girls.
Tinubu disclosed that her Renewed Hope Initiative had expanded the alternative high school model to the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
She said the plan was to establish at least one alternative high school for girls in each of Lagos State’s three senatorial districts.
According to her, Lagos West and Lagos East already have alternative high schools, leaving Lagos Central as the only senatorial district without one.
She therefore urged the Lagos State Government to establish another alternative high school in Lagos Central and ensure the proper maintenance and effective operation of all the facilities.
Addressing the students, Tinubu urged them to remain determined and disciplined, saying their past circumstances should not prevent them from achieving their aspirations.
“Let your passion define your future with determination, discipline and hard work. You can achieve your dreams and become positive contributors to our nation’s development,” she said.
She also commended Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his wife, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, for their support for education in the state.
Representing the governor, the Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, described the commissioning as more than the unveiling of a renovated school, saying it represented the restoration of opportunities and the rewriting of the destinies of young women.
She recalled that the school was established nearly two decades ago following Senator Tinubu’s vision that no girl should be written off because circumstances had interrupted her education.
According to her, the institution has helped many young women return to senior secondary education while equipping them with skills and values needed to lead productive lives.
“Lives redeemed, futures rewritten. That is the true measure of this school,” she said.
Sanwo-Olu said the Lagos State Government, through its THEMES Plus agenda, had continued to prioritise education and technology through investments in classrooms, scholarships, digital skills and safe and inclusive learning environments.
She assured that the state would maintain the rehabilitated facility and sustain its mission as a centre for second chances.
She urged the students to study hard, dream boldly and use the opportunities available to them to positively impact society.
The First Lady also disclosed that empowerment items had been presented to some graduates of the school’s vocational sections, including catering, make-up and cosmetology.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, described the project as a celebration of restored opportunities and a renewed future for girls whose education had been interrupted.
He urged the students to remain disciplined and determined, stressing that while their circumstances might explain where they came from, they should not determine where they were going.
Alli-Balogun said the state government remained committed to ensuring that every girl had access to quality, inclusive and relevant education regardless of her background.
The Chairman of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), Dr. Hakeem Babatunde Deshittu, said the initiative, which began in 2007, had restored hope to many girls who could not continue their education.
He pledged that the state would preserve the school and ensure that it continued to serve its intended purpose.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, said the commissioning was about giving girls another opportunity to learn, dream and build better futures for themselves and their communities.
She said the alternative school was founded on the principle that girls who dropped out of school should not be regarded as lost causes, stressing that young mothers and others whose education had been interrupted deserved another opportunity to continue their studies.
Garba said the rehabilitation covered infrastructure upgrades, academic facilities, furniture for teachers and students, skills-development equipment, laboratory facilities, computer laboratories, water and sanitation facilities, as well as general environmental improvements.
She urged the Lagos State Government to properly maintain and manage the facilities to ensure the school continues to serve the girls for whom it was established.
The UBEC executive secretary also disclosed that the second Alternative High School for Girls in Ikorodu was at an advanced stage of completion and would soon be commissioned.
She said the Federal Government remained committed to improving the quality of education, expanding access, reducing the number of out-of-school children and ensuring that no child was left behind.
The ceremony was attended by education officials, government representatives, traditional leaders, teachers, students and other stakeholders.
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