Mirian Gom 
LAGOS, Nigeria – The Lagos State Government has granted provisional approval to 101 private schools, warning proprietors that concealing child abuse, molestation or bullying could attract sanctions.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, issued the warning on Thursday during the presentation of approval letters at the NUT Pavilion in Alausa, Ikeja. The state government announced the development in a Facebook statement on Saturday.
Alli-Balogun urged school proprietors to employ qualified teachers, improve facilities and comply with the Lagos State Education Law, the Child Rights Act and other relevant regulations.
He also directed schools to report abuse promptly to the appropriate authorities. He stressed that proprietors must protect pupils and provide safe learning environments.
The commissioner described private schools as strategic partners in education development. He said the government would continue working with proprietors to improve school operations and educational standards.
However, he noted that provisional approval did not exempt schools from regulatory requirements.
The Director-General of the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA), Sulaimon Ogunmuyiwa, said the 101 schools comprised 63 nursery and primary schools, 35 secondary schools, two sixth-form schools and one boarding school.
Ogunmuyiwa also announced that provisional approval letters now feature QR codes to verify their authenticity and prevent the use of counterfeit documents.
He said the agency had developed an automated school registration and approval system, which was awaiting the governor’s approval. The proposed platform would allow proprietors to submit documents online and track applications, reducing repeated visits to the ministry.
He urged the newly approved schools to maintain safe facilities, employ qualified teachers and fulfil outstanding requirements.
Meanwhile, the Director of Schools Standard and Evaluation at OEQA, Amos Fajobi, urged the schools to begin the Subject Recognition Inspection process.
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Oluwatobi Adu 
Korede Abdullah 