Makoko Demolitions Threaten Children’s Education.

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:12:20 GMT

As the world marked World Education Day, attention turned to Makoko in Lagos, where demolitions have reduced homes and community schools to rubble, leaving thousands of children without classrooms, routines, or stability. This Jasiri conversation connects global education ideals to the lived reality of children in a riverine settlement where many paddled canoes to low-cost private schools and grassroots floating classrooms before displacement halted learning. With insights from Bukola Adebayo, West Africa Correspondent for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the discussion examines how geography, poverty, and infrastructure shaped schooling in Makoko, why community schools played a vital role beyond academics, and what happens to literacy, retention, and emotional well-being when learning is abruptly disrupted. The programme also questions government obligations when urban development decisions affect children’s right to education and what meaningful recovery would look like for a community now struggling to restore hope through schooling.