I Will Support Bill Banning Public Servants’ Children from Private Schools If Politicians Are Included – Lawmaker

Lagos lawmaker Kayode Akiolu has voiced support for a proposed bill that would prohibit children of public servants from attending private schools—provided that the restriction also applies to politicians.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, Akiolu, who represents Lagos Island II in the 10th National Assembly, emphasized that such a bill could serve as a catalyst for national development. “If I am to support the bill, I would also want it to include all public servants, which includes us, the politicians,” he said.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Godwin Ogah of Abia State, recently passed its first reading in the House of Representatives. It seeks to bar public and civil servants, along with their immediate families, from using private educational and healthcare institutions in Nigeria.

Akiolu acknowledged the democratic values of freedom of choice and movement but said he believes that channeling energy and resources into public institutions is necessary. “Because my child is there, the Bank Secretary’s child is there, the President’s child is there… that is when our education system will become top-notch, world-class,” he said.

He also extended his support for the bill’s reach to include public hospitals, noting the need to invest in the country’s healthcare sector to curb medical tourism. “We need to go back to the good old days when Saudi Arabia and other countries sent their people to Nigeria, including the Saudi royal family,” he recalled.

Akiolu described how, during the 1960s and 70s, foreign nationals—including members of the Saudi royal family—sought medical care in Nigeria, particularly in Ibadan. That trend reversed in the 1980s and 90s with a wave of Nigerian medical professionals leaving the country, often for opportunities in Saudi Arabia and beyond.

He concluded by urging the government to look inward and strengthen its public institutions. “It’s high time we invested in our own country again,” he said.