Nigeria, March 10 -- Rofiyat, a seven-year-old primary two pupil in Oyo State, is one of the lucky beneficiaries of the reopening of 23 shut primary schools in 2024. The schools had been closed for 10 years due to boundary conflicts involving four Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

Before the reopening, Rofiyat and her age-mate step-sister, Thaibat, were enrolled in a unique classroom initiative started by Kolade Oladele, a former Baptist pastor.

This intervention, launched in August 2023 in Aguo, Oyo East LGA, was not recognised by the state government. However, it offered palliatives to encourage attendance and instil school habits in children who were never enrolled in formal education or had to trek long distances to school...