Lagos private school where plastic once served as school fees – Report

2026-02-14 - 09:10

By Efe Onodjae A private primary school where pupils once paid their fees with plastic bottles is drawing attention on Ijoro Badia Street in Lagos, as its founder says the initiative was created to tackle out-of-school children and environmental waste in the community. The school, known as Slum Art PET Bottle School, was established by Adetunwase Adele, a Guinness World Record holder and founder of the Slum Art Foundation. Adele said the project began in 2018 as an after-school arts mentoring programme but later evolved into a full primary school after discovering that many children in the area were not enrolled in any formal education. “We started as an arts organisation, coming in to mentor and guide children using art as a tool for socio-economic change. But we noticed there were more children out of school than those we were trying to cater for,” she said. According to him, the foundation initially operated between 4pm. and 7pm., but the discovery of a large number of out-of-school children prompted the launch of a tuition-free primary school. He said the school provides uniforms, bags, books and other materials at no cost to parents. At its inception, pupils were required to bring five used PET bottles as a form of school fees. Adele explained that the idea came from the children themselves at a time when plastic waste littered the community. “They said they wanted to help build their school and reduce costs, so they began picking plastic bottles. We used the bottles to construct parts of the building. That was how it became known as the PET Bottle School,” she said. He added that as the recycling value of PET bottles increased, parents began selling the bottles for income, making it impractical for the school to continue accepting them as payment. “PET bottles became valuable. Parents now sell them to feed their families, so we stopped collecting them. We kept the last bottle as a reminder of where we started,” Adele stated. The school currently has 63 pupils, up from 21 at inception. Teachers are recruited mainly from the community, while volunteers assist with curriculum support. Adele confirmed that the school has completed its state accreditation process. The facility stands on land reclaimed over several years through refuse dumping, an area previously described by residents as a swamp. Adele said the foundation also runs an art school and animation studio alongside the primary school as part of its environmental, social and governance initiatives. Speaking on partnerships, Daniel Adediji Olaniyi, Chief Executive Officer of Inside Nigeria TV and Thankful Records, said his organisation decided to support the project after aligning with its vision of youth empowerment. “I saw what they were doing for young people and I was impressed. There is no regret partnering with them,” he said, noting that the collaboration helped expand and renovate the school facility. A parent, Balikis Wasiu, whose two children attend the school, said the initiative has improved her children’s reading and communication skills. She described the school as a relief for families who cannot afford conventional private education. The school is preparing its first set of Primary Five pupils for the Common Entrance Examination this year. Adele, who previously organised record-setting educational and art initiatives involving thousands of children, said the goal remains to reduce the number of out-of-school children while promoting environmental responsibility. He said the foundation is seeking further partnerships with private sector organisations to sustain and expand its programmes.