Following shocking reports of a potential Diphtheria outbreak at King’s College in Lagos, the state government has quickly sprung into action to tackle the issue which has already triggered widespread concern among parents, students, and Public Health stakeholders. The promptness of the state’s response was indicative of the severity of the situation. Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Special Adviser on Health revealed that a high-level meeting was recently held with key stakeholders, including representatives from the Lagos State Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Dr. Ogunyemi acknowledged the severity of the situation and stated that the surveillance team, the Lagos State Ministry of Health, WHO, and NCDC were actively working to verify facts and determine the best course of action. As the health team worked behind closed doors to gather information, the parents of King’s College students were already raising an alarm. A number of parents, speaking anonymously to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), expressed their frustration and fear, citing poor hygiene conditions and a slow response from school authorities.
Lingering poor hygiene linked to the disease outbreak.
While several reported that their children had been sent to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for treatment, others claimed that their youngsters had been abruptly forced to wear nose masks. The discrepancy between the school’s apparent actions—such as mask demands, hospital visits, and a WHO visit—and its silence have all heightened parents’ skepticism. Worse still, many of these concerns are not new. Parents say they have repeatedly complained about the deteriorating sanitary conditions of the school. These problems, ranging from unclean restrooms and dubious food hygiene to subpar water systems and inadequate medical care, have long afflicted the institution.
The difference now is that a health disaster might have ultimately resulted from these shortcomings. Parents had already received consent forms from the school requesting permission to give diphtheria vaccinations on school property. According to the document that NAN was able to access, the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board and the Eti-Osa Local Government worked together to coordinate the immunization attempt. Although some parents agreed that vaccinations were necessary, many were unhappy with the school’s transparency and communication.
Parents push for lasting reforms beyond emergency response.
In response to the rising panic, Ngozi Ogbonna, the King’s College Parents Teachers Association (PTA) Public Relations Officer, issued a statement advising parents to maintain composure in the face of the growing hysteria. According to her, federal health officials were collaborating with PTA executives and college administration to contain the spread. Ogbonna affirmed that students would receive booster doses of the diphtheria vaccine as recommended by medical professionals. Additionally, she disclosed that students showing symptoms had been segregated and sent to LUTH for examinations; any other cases would be handled in the same manner.
Yet, many parents are demanding an extensive overhaul of the system. Their demands go beyond diphtheria Vaccines to include improved WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) infrastructure, better healthcare staffing, transparent school leadership, more engaged PTAs, and national policies that prioritize student health and safety. They want unity schools to live up to their promise—not just in academics, but in providing a safe and supportive environment for Nigeria’s future leaders. The PTA’s propensity to minimize grievances was also criticized by several parents, who urged the organization to speak up more for the Welfare of students rather than covering up administrative lapses.
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Investigations into the potential outbreak are still ongoing, and the LUTH students’ diagnostic results have not yet been made public. Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government is still keeping a careful eye on the situation, working with national and international health organizations. The alleged diphtheria outbreak at King’s College has brought attention to Nigeria’s dire public health Infrastructure and school cleanliness conditions once more. It emphasizes how crucial it is for school administrators to communicate openly, how quickly the government must act, and how urgently national public health reforms are needed, particularly in institutions that are supposed to serve as models for academic and structural excellence.