All over the world, schools are going green — swapping concrete jungles for eco-friendly classrooms powered by the sun and designed to protect the planet. In Nigeria, that movement is slowly taking root, and one community on the Lagos lagoon is leading the charge.
For the children of Saga, a small riverine settlement near Lagos, going to school used to mean crossing treacherous waters every morning. There were no classrooms, no light, and no clean drinking water. However, that story changed recently with the unveiling of Slum2School Africa’s Green Academy — Nigeria’s first entirely eco-friendly school.
The school, which was constructed by the education-focused non-profit founded by Orondaam Otto, is powered by solar energy, provides clean water, and features internet connectivity. However, more importantly, it was built using sustainable materials designed to reduce environmental impact.
Speaking during the colourful commissioning ceremony that drew hundreds of volunteers, community leaders, and government officials, Otto described the project as a vision fulfilled.
“We wanted to prove that children in underserved communities deserve more than temporary fixes,” he said. “They deserve modern, safe, and sustainable schools of their own.”
The Green Academy is not just a building; it is a statement that Nigeria can begin to blend education with environmental consciousness.
Globally, other institutions are setting the pace. For example, in Indonesia, the Green School Bali runs entirely on bamboo structures and teaches environmental stewardship through everyday learning. In Singapore, the National University of Singapore operates as a “living lab,” with heat-reduction technology, tree-planting projects, and solar panels. Additionally, the University of Nottingham’s Carbon Neutral Laboratory in the United Kingdom utilises renewable energy and recycled materials to power its research.
Experts say Nigeria can learn from these global examples. However, they have advised that the country must not get overambitious by embarking on sustainability projects beyond its ability to manage and finance.
Instead, Nigerian schools should start with manageable and straightforward projects, such as installing solar panels and planting trees.
Furthermore, while obstacles such as inadequate funding and ineffective policy implementation still pose a significant challenge to the concept of sustainability in schools, experts believe that partnerships between the government, the private sector, and non-profits like Slum2School can change the narrative.
The story of Saga’s Green Academy is proof that sustainable education is possible in Nigeria. However, the initiative should not end in Saga; all stakeholders must work together to ensure that it is replicated across the country.
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