Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has commissioned the newly rehabilitated First Alternative High School for Girls on Old Ojo Road, Agboju, in Lagos.

The school, which was conceived and introduced by Mrs Tinubu in 2007 during her husband’s tenure as Lagos State governor, was established to provide a second chance for young women who dropped out of school due to teenage pregnancy, poverty, domestic challenges or cultural barriers.

The institution has now been extensively renovated and equipped with modern facilities, including 21st-century classrooms, vocational workshops, science laboratories, a library, ICT facilities, a main hall, improved water and sanitation systems, and a crèche for nursing mothers.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Mrs Tinubu said she was pleased to see the school continue to fulfil its original purpose of helping girls and women whose education had been interrupted by difficult circumstances.

She urged the students to remain determined, disciplined and hardworking, assuring them that they could achieve their dreams and contribute positively to national development.

The First Lady also called on the Lagos State Government to establish another alternative high school for girls in Lagos Central Senatorial District, noting that Lagos West and Lagos East already have such institutions.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his wife, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, described the school as an important platform for teenage mothers and other women seeking to complete their secondary education and acquire vocational skills.

He said the renovated facility supports both the state’s T.H.E.M.E.S.+ Agenda and the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Initiative, particularly efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school girls.

The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr Aishat Garba, said UBEC supported the rehabilitation by providing infrastructure, ICT materials, furniture, laboratory equipment, skills-development tools and other educational facilities.

She said the investment was aimed at creating a conducive learning environment and promised that a similar school under construction in Ikorodu would be completed and commissioned soon.

Teachers and students expressed excitement over the transformation, saying the improved facilities would motivate them to focus more on their education and skills development.

The upgraded school is expected to provide more young women with opportunities to return to education, acquire vocational skills and build independent and productive futures.

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