Back to School: Excitement for Igando Pupils, Stress for Parents

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Back to School: Excitement for Igando Pupils, Stress for Parents

For many children in the Igando area of Lagos, the return to school after the long holiday brought excitement, new uniforms and the chance to reunite with friends.
But for their parents and guardians, school resumption also means another season of early mornings, transport costs and, for some families around Egan, the daily battle with muddy and badly damaged roads.
At Paul Okey Street, Falana Street, Shoga Street and Ajagunna Street, all around the popular Isuti Road axis in Egan, pupils and students were seen heading to their various schools as the 2026/2027 academic session began.
Many of the younger children were accompanied by adults believed to be their parents, guardians or other family members, while older pupils walked in groups, some appearing eager to return to school after the long break.
Speaking with UKATA News, some of the pupils described their return to school as an exciting moment.
One of them, Ada, a pupil in a private school, expressed delight at being back in the classroom, saying she could not wait to reunite with her classmates and meet some of the new pupils she learnt had recently joined the school.
“I am very excited. I missed school. Throughout the night, I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking about school. Thank God it is now morning and we are going to school again. I can’t wait to see my friends, teachers and the new pupils who have joined our school,” she said joyfully.
Around Igando Market, the mood was equally lively as pupils and students once again carried their school bags and headed to school, many looking smart in clean uniforms, with some wearing brand-new clothes and shoes for the new academic session.
For some of the children, staying at home during the long holiday had become boring, making the return to school a welcome change.
“School is good and I love my friends too. So, I am happy to be going back to school again,” said seven-year-old Amanda.
Six-year-old Margaret said she was particularly excited about moving to a new class.
“I feel very happy. My parents bought me a new school uniform and I am going to a new class. I am very happy,” she said.
For four-year-old Chisom, the attraction was her friends, books and new school bag.
“I want to play with my friends and I want to write too. Mummy bought me many books and a school bag, so I am happy,” she said.
But behind the excitement was another reality for their parents.
Parents and guardians who accompanied their children to school said they were preparing for another routine of waking up early, getting the children ready and finding ways to cope with the daily cost and stress of taking them to school.
One mother in Egan said the beginning of another school term meant returning to a demanding morning routine.
“School resumption is good because our children need to learn, but it also means waking up very early every day. You have to prepare their food, dress them, arrange their bags and make sure they get to school on time. It is not easy, especially when you also have to go to work,” she said.
Another parent said the cost of transportation was becoming an additional burden.
“You have school fees, books, uniforms, shoes and other things to buy. Then every morning you still have to think about transport. For families with more than one child, the expenses can really add up,” the parent said.
However, for some parents in Egan, the condition of the roads presents an even bigger challenge.
One mother lamented that some sections of the road were so muddy that parents sometimes had to carry their children to prevent them from arriving at school dirty.
“Look at this road. How do you expect a small child to walk through this mud and still arrive at school looking clean? Sometimes we have to carry them across the bad portions. It is stressful, but we have no choice because our children must get to school,” she said.
She also said using motorcycles and tricycles, popularly known as Keke, was not always a solution because of the condition of the road.
“Sometimes people riding motorcycles or Keke with their children fall into the deeper parts of the road because of the muddy water. That is why some of us prefer to walk with the children and carry them where necessary. It is safer, even though it is stressful,” she explained.
Another parent said the daily struggle was worth it because education remained a priority.
“We complain about the roads and the money we spend, but we are happy that school has resumed. When the children are in school, we can concentrate on our work and businesses. We want them to learn and have a better future,” the parent said.
Despite the financial pressure and daily stress associated with school resumption, many parents said they were happy to see their children return to the classroom.
The resumption has also brought fresh business opportunities for traders, with sellers of school shoes, stockings and other school items recording brisk sales at strategic locations around Igando and near schools.
As the new academic session begins, the excitement of children returning to their classrooms is therefore being matched by the determination of parents to keep them in school—despite the rising cost of education, transportation and the everyday challenges of navigating their communities.
One editorial note: the parents’ quotations above are cleaned-up/reconstructed quotes based on the statements and observations in your original copy. If these are going into a published UKATA News report, use them as direct quotes only if they accurately reflect what the parents actually told you; otherwise, convert them to indirect speech.