Lagos Rolls Out GAPS in 500 Non-State Schools to Improve Quality
The Lagos State Government is set to roll out the Graded Assessment Programme for Schools (GAPS) across 500 selected non-state schools, as part of its broader commitment to improve education quality and uphold every learner’s right to education.
Led by the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA) in partnership with the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE), a programme funded by the UK’s FCDO and the SEED Care & Support Foundation, GAPS aims to strengthen school governance, learning outcomes, and transparency.
Beginning July 10, 2025, evaluators will visit 400 registered but not-yet-approved private schools and 100 fully approved ones across 20 zones in Lagos’ six Education Districts. The programme uses a whole-school evaluation model that encourages schools to reflect on their performance, identify strengths and gaps, and design actionable School Improvement Plans.
According to Mr. Remi Abdul, OEQA Coordinating Director, “The GAPS implementation reflects our determination to institutionalise a culture of continuous improvement and equity across all schools in Lagos. We are committed to building a quality assurance system that supports and strengthens, not just supervises.”
This learner-focused model underscores the state’s responsibility to guarantee inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all, as enshrined in the right to education. The initiative is designed not to penalize schools but to help them grow through honest self-assessment and tailored support.
Lagos also becomes the first state in the Southwest to adopt the GAPS framework. Evaluation results will inform a peer learning exchange with neighboring states, including Ekiti, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, and Osun, further expanding a rights-based approach to school accountability and support.
As Mrs. Olanrewaju Oniyitan, Executive Director of SEED Foundation, noted: “By telling the truth about where they are, schools position themselves for the help they truly need.”
A virtual onboarding for selected school owners took place on July 8, with field evaluations beginning on July 10.
The Lagos State Government has called on all school leaders, educators, and parents to cooperate fully with evaluators, emphasizing that the rollout is a collaborative process aimed at ensuring that no learner is left behind.
