Ensuring that every child has access to schooling is both a moral responsibility and a strategic necessity. Decades of global research — including long-term child development studies from UNICEF, UNESCO, and the World Bank — consistently show that early childhood education shapes the trajectory of a child’s holistic development and builds a strong foundation for their future.

We want all children in school because:

Education is a fundamental human right: Education is every child’s right, regardless of who they are or where they live, ensuring equality and opportunity for all.

It helps break the cycle of poverty: Quality education is one of the most effective ways to escape poverty and improve long-term socioeconomic mobility.

It provides safety and protection: Schools provide a safe haven, shielding children from violence, abuse, exploitation, child labor, and early marriage.

It supports essential skill development: Education builds foundational literacy, numeracy, and life skills, preparing children for future work, leadership, and community participation.

It promotes inclusion and equality: Inclusive education systems give girls, children with disabilities, and marginalized youth a fair chance to learn and succeed.

It improves long-term health and well-being: Early education leads to better health outcomes, lower rates of depression, and higher productivity in adulthood.

At Road to School, we work to ensure that no child is left behind simply because of where they were born or the circumstances, they inherited. We create access to safe, inclusive, and functional learning spaces so every child can learn, dream, and build a better future.

The idea for the Road-to-School was conceived during the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola (2007–2015), when Lagos State carried out major clean-up efforts to address urban disorder. The government dismantled informal settlements, cleared people from footbridges and major roads, took beggars off the streets, and relocate thousands of displaced persons to their home states. These actions were meant to make Lagos more orderly in line with its mega-city plan, but did little to address the real issues—the root causes of destitution: poverty, lack of education, family breakdown, and displacement. In the process, many vulnerable children and families were affected in ways that stripped them of their dignity. The Road-to-School Foundation emerged as a more compassionate alternative. Instead of seeing street children as a “problem” to remove, we saw an opportunity to guide them from life on the streets back into the classroom. This approach recognises that children need both immediate intervention and long-term support systems that address the real drivers of the problem. Today, we continue to build on those early lessons. We work with government, civil society, faith groups, private-sector partners, and local communities to ensure no child is left behind.

We believe every child deserves access to education—not as a privilege, but as a fundamental right and a foundation for life.

• Education is a basic human right: Every child deserves equal opportunity to learn and grow, regardless of background or location.
• It breaks the cycle of poverty: Education remains one of the most effective tools for long-term economic mobility and social change.
• It provides safety and protection: Schools offer children a safe environment away from exploitation, abuse, child labor, and early marriage.
• It builds essential life skills: Literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking prepare children for work, leadership, and active citizenship.
• It promotes inclusion and equality: Quality education ensures girls, children with disabilities, and marginalized groups are not left behind.
• It improves long-term wellbeing: Education contributes to better health outcomes, emotional wellbeing, and stronger communities.

The Road-to-School mission is rooted in a simple belief: every child, regardless of socio-economic background, deserves access to quality education as a pathway out of poverty and social exclusion.

Every child belongs in school, but getting there is not always easy. Others attend school but struggle without the foundational skills and support they need to succeed. At Road to School Foundation, we believe that access to education must go hand in hand with the opportunity to learn. That is why we work to remove barriers that keep children out of school, strengthen foundational skills, and create supportive learning opportunities for children at risk of being left behind. Behind every statistic is a child with dreams, abilities, and a future worth investing in. We cannot afford to wait until another child falls behind or grows up without the skills to pursue their dreams. The time to act is now.

18.3 million — Children of primary and junior secondary school

age out of school Millions of Nigerian children are missing the opportunity to learn in a formal school environment.
Why we care: We work to help children overcome barriers to education, access meaningful learning opportunities, and find pathways into or back into school.

74% — Children aged 7–14 lack basic reading and mathematics skills

Getting children into school is only the beginning. Children need to develop the ability to read, understand, and use what they learn.
Why we care: We support foundational literacy and numeracy to help children build the skills they need to progress in school and beyond.

60% — Of out-of-school children in Nigeria are girls

Girls face educational barriers that can limit their choices, independence, and future opportunities.
Why we care: Every girl deserves the opportunity to learn, develop her abilities, and shape her future. Educational barriers should never prevent girls from reaching their potential.

62% vs. 5% — The foundational numeracy gap between the richest and poorest households

Children from wealthier households are far more likely to develop foundational numeracy skills than children from the poorest households.
Why we care: We work to expand learning opportunities for children in underserved communities, where access to educational support may be limited.

• Education is a basic human right: Every child deserves equal opportunity to learn and grow, regardless of background or location.
• It breaks the cycle of poverty: Education remains one of the most effective tools for long-term economic mobility and social change.
• It provides safety and protection: Schools offer children a safe environment away from exploitation, abuse, child labor, and early marriage.
• It builds essential life skills: Literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking prepare children for work, leadership, and active citizenship.
• It promotes inclusion and equality: Quality education ensures girls, children with disabilities, and marginalized groups are not left behind.
• It improves long-term wellbeing: Education contributes to better health outcomes, emotional wellbeing, and stronger communities.

The Road-to-School mission is rooted in a simple belief: every child, regardless of socio-economic background, deserves access to quality education as a pathway out of poverty and social exclusion.