A charity-run school in Lagos State, Slum2School Green Academy, has been named among the Top 10 finalists globally for the prestigious World’s Best School Prize for Environmental Action 2026.
- +Lagos school named among world’s top 10 for environmental action
The announcement was made on Thursday by T4 Education, organisers of the World’s Best School Prizes, which are widely regarded as the “World Cup for Schools.”
The announcement was made on Thursday by T4 Education, organisers of the World’s Best School Prizes, which are widely regarded as the “World Cup for Schools.”
Located in Saga, a remote riverine community in Epe, Lagos State, Slum2School Green Academy was recognised for advancing education and environmental sustainability among underserved children through its innovative climate-smart learning model.
The school, which serves 250 children from eight riverine communities, combines experiential, inquiry-based learning with environmentally sustainable practices, enabling pupils to achieve up to three years of learning progress within a single academic year.
Founder of T4 Education and the World’s Best School Prizes, Vikas Pota, congratulated the school on its achievement.
He said, “Congratulations to Slum2School Green Academy on being shortlisted for the fifth annual World’s Best School Prizes. It has shown that Nigeria’s schools truly stand among the best in the world.
“Each one of these exemplary schools shortlisted for this global schools prize has, in its own unique way, helped prepare young people for a world that has never seemed so uncertain.
“It is more important than ever that our schools grow the leaders we’ll need to face massive challenges from rising conflict and inequality to populism and climate breakdown.
“In their classrooms, every day, these institutions show what works. And governments and schools across the world should learn from their shining examples.”
According to T4 Education, the five World’s Best School Prizes recognise excellence in Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives.
The winners will be selected by an expert Judging Academy, while all 50 shortlisted schools across the categories will also compete in a public vote for the Community Choice Award.
The Top 3 finalists and winners are expected to be announced in November. Situated in one of Nigeria’s most isolated water-locked settlements, Slum2School Green Academy was established to address the lack of access to formal education in communities where children previously had to travel long distances by canoe to attend school.
To overcome environmental and logistical challenges, the school was built using locally sourced bamboo and wood and operates as a climate-smart, eco-friendly learning environment.
The academy runs entirely on solar energy, generates approximately 28,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, harvests up to 160,000 litres of rainwater yearly, and operates waste-to-biogas systems that produce about 1,400 cubic metres of clean cooking gas every year.
Students are actively involved in environmental projects, including school gardening, composting, recycling, and converting water hyacinth into useful and marketable products.
The school also provides access to a digital learning laboratory, coding education, and a library to strengthen literacy development.
T4 Education disclosed that 96 per cent of students at the academy have improved by at least one proficiency level in literacy, while more than 70 per cent have recorded progress in numeracy.
It added that over 90 per cent of pupils are now reading at or approaching grade level despite starting with little or no foundational skills.
The organisation further noted that more than 700 families have benefited from improved access to clean water, sanitation, and environmental awareness initiatives driven by the school.
According to T4 Education, the academy’s model offers a scalable blueprint for sustainable, community-centred education across Africa, demonstrating that educational equity, climate action, and innovation can thrive even in some of the continent’s most challenging environments.
The shortlisted schools and winners will be invited to the World Schools Summit in London, United Kingdom, scheduled for January 16–17, 2027, where they will share their experiences and best practices with policymakers and education leaders from around the world.
