Lagos State Government has set September as the target for completing an 18-classroom block at Odokekere High School following the collapse of a classroom during lectures on Thursday.

The collapsed structure was a community intervention aimed at addressing acute classroom shortages caused by a sharp increase in enrolment.

It was learnt that the facility was a three-classroom, shed-like block constructed to supplement existing classrooms and accommodate more students, although it was still insufficient for the school’s needs.

Speaking on the incident, the Chairman of the Lagos State Special Committee on Rehabilitation of Public Schools (SCRPS), Mr Hakeem Smith, expressed regret over the development.

He said the new classrooms would be completed by September, ahead of the commencement of the new academic year.

According to him, the proposed structure will comprise ground, first and second floors, with requisite toilet facilities and well-ventilated classrooms, similar to those constructed in other parts of the state.

“It will take us about six to nine months, barring any challenges, so that before they resume the new academic session in September, it should be ready,” he said.

Smith said the incident was unexpected, noting that plans to construct a new building for the school had already been made for this year.

“We had planned to put up a new structure for them this year. We have all the records and drawings ready and were only waiting for this year’s budget approval to move to site. Thank God there were no casualties, and we are definitely moving to the site,” he said.

He added that the contractor returned to the site the following day to begin measurements ahead of the commencement of work.

Smith stressed that the collapsed building was not a government project but a temporary community effort to ease classroom shortages.

He noted that while the school urgently needs more classrooms, government projects must follow due process, including technical investigations and tests, before construction begins, adding that such procedures had already commenced before the incident.

To prevent a recurrence, he said the state government would introduce a policy to regulate community and private interventions in public schools, ensuring that all such efforts receive proper approval and technical oversight.

Smith also said the committee had rehabilitated 423 classroom blocks and delivered 1,500 new classrooms across educational districts in the state.

He added that Ikorodu benefitted significantly from the interventions, including the construction of 12 classrooms and a fence at Community Primary School, Egbin; 18-classroom blocks at Zulmratul Islamiyah Senior Secondary School, Shas el Deen Junior Grammar School, Elepe Junior Grammar School and Odongunyan Junior Grammar School; as well as a canteen block and new fencing at Musade Odugate Junior High School, and fencing works at the proposed Lagos State Senior Girls Model College, Agunfoye, among others.