How policy gaps, others keep students out of school 7 weeks after resumption
Twelve-year-old MaryAnn sits on the front steps of her guardian’s house every day, watching other children in crisp uniforms hurry past with their schoolbags in the morning, and back in the afternoon.
She should be among them, starting her first term in JSS1 at one of the state government-owned secondary schools in Somolu, the new chapter she has long dreamed of.
But while her classmates in private secondary schools have long resumed, MaryAnn has spent another six weeks at home through no fault of hers.
When asked why she was not in school, she replied; “I have not yet gotten my NIN.”
Such is the fate of many aspiring youngsters whose parents are unable to enroll them in private high schools across Lagos State.
Seven weeks after schools in Lagos State resumed for the new academic term, several of these students remain at home, not because of illness or fees, but due to difficulties in meeting the admission requirements.
BusinessDay’s check reveals a mix of factors responsible for keeping the likes of MaryAnn at home while their mates in the private schools are getting a headstart.
What it takes to be admitted
BusinessDay paid a visit to schools in 12 LCDAs such as Yaba, Bariga, Somolu, Ifako, Isolo, Ejigbo, Alimosho, Idimu, Apapa and Onigbongo, among others.
These schools had the list of children posted to resume there, and right beside is the list of requirements; such as birth certificate, NIN, LASSRA, tax clearance evidence, and school uniform.
Others include the school badge, beret, sportswear, and school tie, among others.
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A staff of the Lagos Ministry of Education explained that the government’s policy is aimed at improving educational standards, curb age-cheating and streamlining admissions, among others.
Isaiah Ogundele, an administrator, applauded the introduction of NIN, insisting that in the era of technology every necessary data is compulsory for easy identification and also for proper planning.
“A good data of students will enable the government to project and plan we’ll for an adequate infrastructure for public schools in Lagos State,” he said.
While obtaining the LASSRA identification appeared pretty easy, the challenge for many of the new students like MaryAnn was obtaining the NIN slip from the NIMC registration centres.
But should this stop a child from going to school?
Inadequate information on requirements
In all of the schools visited, the teachers handling registrations confirmed that if they were unable to get the NIN slip for the child, they could use either of the parent’s or guardian’s NIN, LASSRA, and that affidavits could be used in place of birth certificates.
With the number of children yet to resume, it became clear that this information may not have been communicated to the parents.
When our reporter accompanied MaryAnn to the school, the security official insisted that they needed to present the child’s NIN slip before he would direct them to the point of registration.
Upon insisting, they made their way to the registration point where the teacher in charge clarified that the registration could be done without it.
“If you have the parent or guardian’s NIN, we can use it” she said.
The scenario which played out at this school suggested that the administrators may have left the duty of passing this critical information, in the hands of the zealous security officials who, themselves, did not appear to have a clear understanding of things.
The NIMC delay
A visit to some NIMC registration centres showed the consequence of this breakdown in communication. In locations like the Somolu LGA complex, several children were spotted waiting endlessly to get their NIN slips.
In other centres like the Apapa and Oshodi LGAs, the staff insist that NIN slips could be gotten within seven days of registration, and it was also possible to apply for it online.
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However, the crowd in some NIN centres show that the parents/guardians would rather come to the office. One of the parents seen at the Somolu LGA complex, Ms. Barakat told BusinessDay that she found the online process confusing and would rather come to the centre where she could find people to attend to them.
The result of this line of thinking is a crowd of children at the LG office, spending hours and days just to go through the process. One NIMC staff explained the situation thus:
“The pressure has come down now. Had it been you came here last two weeks, it is what oyibo call killing. It was like an ocean of children, they will fill the entire corridor, and some even leave here by 6pm. We stay till 6pm because of them.”
He further added that the commission recently did an upgrade to synchronise all the registrations, and this delayed the release of some of the registered NINs.
Enrollment decline
A teacher in one of junior schools said the school has a total number of 186 candidates allocated to it from the ministry of education, but as of Wednesday, October 22, 2025, only 50 students had registered (27 percent).
At the senior school level, a total of 115 candidates including the supplementary list, but only 77 have registered, leaving about one-third still out of school.
Gift Osikoya, a teacher said while the policy is commendable in intent, its implementation appears to create barriers for many parents, especially those from low-income backgrounds who may find it difficult to secure all these documents promptly.
Fear over latent plans to reintroduce fees
Some stakeholders expressed concerns the state is pushing for fees introduction through the back-door.
A teacher in one of the schools visited explained that there is a latent plan by the government to introduce fees along the way.
She listed some of the existing fees, such as N10,100 for tax clearance and N6,800 for registration, which, according to her, are optional.
Friday Erhabor, Director of media and strategies at Marklenez Limited, expressed worries the state is pushing to far with its revenue generation quest.
“I think Lagos government is taking revenue generation too far. Are they saying children whose parents are out of job can’t access education?
“They should find another way that taxable adult can be brought under the tax net without disrupting children education,” he urged.
Similarly, Jessica Osuere, the chief executive officer at RubiesHub Educational Services, is worried that not everyone has easy access to these documents, especially people living in poorer areas.
“If a child can’t go to school just because their parents don’t have all these papers, we’re only increasing the number of children roaming the streets instead of learning.
“I also share in that fear that this is a quiet way to bring back school fees. Lagos State needs to be clear about its intentions. People just need transparency and fairness,” she said
The way forward
While these children are out of school, through a combination of factors outside their control, their counterparts in the private schools already have a headstart.
Mr. Anthony Agabue, a seasoned educator and teacher confirmed to BusinessDay that in the private schools, JSS1 students began classes on September 15, about the same time with other students and have since been receiving lessons.
“The resumption dates may be different from one school to the other, but the new students resumed the same time with the other students. They have been learning with others and are set to take the mid-term tests by next week” he said.
Osikoya (earlier referenced) recommended that the government adopt a more flexible and phased approach, allowing parents time to obtain the required documents, while providing enlightenment and support centres to assist them.
This, she said, will help balance accountability with accessibility, ensuring that no child is left behind due to bureaucratic hurdles.
Osuere (earlier referenced) maintains that education is a right, not a privilege, the government can still get the data they need without locking children out. They can let the children start school first and give parents time to sort out the documents.
