Sanwo-olu publishes a circular ordering the wearing of the hijab at all schools in Lagos.

Finally, a circular from the Lagos State government directing principals and school administrators to permit Muslim children to wear the hijab in all state-owned schools has been released.

Hakeem Muri Okunola, the State Head of Service, issued the circular on Monday, December 5, with reference number CIR/HOS/’22/Vol.1/068. It became effective right away.

A few hours after a Muslim human rights group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), appealed to the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to get involved in the hijab issue because it affects Muslims’ constitutional rights in the state, the state under Gov. Sanwo-leadership Olu’s officially approved the hijab.

On Friday, June 17, 2022, the Supreme Court issued a decision supporting the wearing of the hijab in all Lagos State schools. However, MURIC Director Prof. Lakin Akintola was concerned that the Lagos State Government had not issued a statement following the decision.

The State issued the circular informing all state parastatals and agencies, including school principals and administrators, to let any female student to wear the hijab on uniforms in all state-owned schools after the Supreme Court verdict in less than 24 hours of MURIC’s appeal.

“It’s hereby notified for general information that the supreme court judgment SC/910/2016 delivered on the 17th of June 2022 on the use of Hijab as it affects pupils/students in Lagos State schools has delivered that the students should be allowed to wear the hijab if desired,” the statement read in part. 

You should be aware that the verdict is binding on all schools in the State, Muri-Okunola said, adding that detailed rules on the wearing of the hijab will be sent to all government entities in due time.

“As a law-abiding administration, all accounting officers are to note the contents of this circular for immediate compliance and give it the deserved service-wide publicity,” he noted. 

In response to the development, Hajiah Mutiat Orolu-Balogun of the Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative, HRAI, expressed happiness over the news and claimed that by making it simple for the supreme court’s ruling on the hijab to be implemented, the state has demonstrated that it is a responsible and law-abiding government.