- 300+ staff received free medical screenings during LASUBEB’s two-day health drive
- 210,000 pupils wrote the Primary Six Placement Test under strict, tech-enabled monitoring
- Statewide school needs assessment underway to guide future infrastructure projects
The sun was barely up on Monday, July 22, when a colourful stream of teachers and administrators filed into the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB) headquarters.
Ekohotblog reports that instead of chalkboards and lesson notes, many carried water bottles and trainers, ready for a health walk that kicked off the board’s 2025 Annual Health Check.
Standing at the gate, greeting staff by name,was Dr. Hakeem Babatunde Shittu, the board’s quietly energetic chairman. Two days later, more than 300 LASUBEB employees had received free blood-pressure checks, glucose screenings and full blood counts.
“Regular blood tests are vital for preventing illnesses like anemia and infections,” Dr. Shittu told reporters, adding that the exercise was Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s way of caring for the “physical, mental and emotional wellbeing” of the education workforce.
Guest speaker Dr. John Kolawole of Afriglobal Medicare underlined that point in simple terms. “Balanced diets, routine check-ups and a brisk walk can keep blood healthy,” he said to nods of agreement.
Board Secretary Akeem Lamidi thanked the governor for an “inclusive governance model” and urged staff to seize every wellness opportunity the state provides.
Three days later, on July 26, Dr. Shittu left his desk again,this time to patrol some of the 549 centres hosting Lagos’s Primary Six Placement Test. Over 210,000 pupils sat the exam that decides who moves to junior secondary school.
“Our presence here underscores our commitment to equal opportunity for every child,” the chairman said as he watched invigilators run answer sheets through newly deployed OMR scanners. “We’re using OMR technology to ensure accuracy, fairness and timely results.”
Logistical snags appeared when a handful of unregistered pupils turned up. Still, Shittu ordered that “no child was turned away”, leaning on LASUBEB’s Leave No Child Behind policy.
Transparency drives the board’s next task too. In August, Dr. Shittu met with Olusegun Sanwo-Olu, Executive Assistant to the Governor on Project Implementation Monitoring, to plan a data-rich needs assessment of every public primary school in Lagos.
“This assessment is a crucial step in shaping a learning environment that matches the vision of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s education agenda,” the chairman said, promising renovations and learning tools that “meet real classroom realities, not guesses”.
From morning health walks to late-evening exam inspections and strategy sessions, Dr. Shittu’s schedule tells one story: Lagos basic education is being steered by a chairman who thinks wellness, fairness and evidence must go hand-in-hand.
