Iyunade Grace
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commissioned the rebuilt Tolu Schools Complex in Ajegunle, Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos, alongside new sports facilities. The commissioning was part of Tinubu’s two-day official home state visit to inaugurate six legacy projects of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration.
The Tolu Schools Complex is a sprawling education city originally established in 1981 under the Lateef Jakande administration. After decades of overpopulation and neglect, the 43-year-old complex had fallen into disrepair with issues of flooding, insecurity, and a high student-classroom ratio. The Lagos State Special Committee on Rehabilitation of Public Schools (SCRPS) embarked on a comprehensive overhaul to restore and modernize it.
The rebuilt complex sits on 11.73 hectares of land bordered by the lagoon and is divided into two sections by Temidire Street. It now houses 36 schools in total: 16 junior secondary schools, 15 senior secondary schools, and five primary schools. With a combined population of over 20,000 students, officials describe it as the largest school community in Africa.
As part of the rehabilitation, SCRPS constructed 13 additional 15/18 classroom blocks and renovated dilapidated ones. Other upgrades include a perimeter fence and gate houses, new inner roads and drainages, rehabilitation of existing access roads, a health centre, fire service station, and a multi-purpose sports complex. To improve movement within the site, new infrastructure was added to make navigation easier.
Sports and extracurricular development were central to the redesign. The complex now features a football pitch, basketball and volleyball courts, and other social and sporting amenities. The Maracana Stadium, comprising 19 mini-football pitches built side by side in Ajegunle, was also among the projects unveiled during Tinubu’s visit.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu inspected the complex ahead of the commissioning, calling it a major boost to public education infrastructure in Lagos. He said the project reflects his administration’s commitment to infrastructure development and quality, affordable education for Lagos students. The governor noted that the intervention would address pressing educational needs in the densely populated Ajeromi-Ifelodun axis, home to over 1 million people with more than a third aged 0–14.
The Tolu Schools Complex commissioning was one of six Sanwo-Olu legacy projects inaugurated by President Tinubu, including the Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge, Lagos State Geographic Information Service building, Lagos Multi-Agency Building, and Lagos Fresh Food Hub. Residents of Ajegunle turned out in large numbers to welcome the project as a landmark intervention.
Beyond bricks and mortar, the upgrade is framed as a push for well-rounded education. Governor Sanwo-Olu emphasized that the government is committed to ensuring every child, no matter where they live, has access to quality education, with sports facilities designed to encourage physical activity and talent development alongside academics.
