A Junior Secondary School (JSS) student at King’s College Lagos has died following a diphtheria outbreak in the school.
The Chairperson of the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA), Peter Oluwaleye, confirmed the incident on Monday, stating that the student, whose name was not disclosed, passed away last week at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).
In a statement dated March 9, Mr. Oluwaleye expressed condolences to the deceased student’s family and reassured parents that efforts were being made to contain the spread of the disease. While dismissing exaggerated reports of the outbreak, he acknowledged the unfortunate loss despite the combined efforts of the student’s family, school management, PTA executives, and hospital staff.
Although the total number of confirmed cases has not been disclosed, Mr. Oluwaleye revealed that four suspected cases are currently at LUTH, with test results pending. Parents have voiced concerns about the outbreak, attributing it to poor sanitary conditions in the school and criticizing the management’s handling of the situation. They called on the federal government to improve infrastructure, especially water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, as well as teaching quality and overall educational standards.
In response, Mr. Oluwaleye assured parents that preventive measures had been implemented. Prophylactic medication has been provided for symptomatic students, while the World Health Organization (WHO) has donated additional medication for 100 patients. Nose masks have been distributed, and an isolation centre has been set up within the school premises for suspected cases.
An emergency assembly was held, where WHO representatives educated students on diphtheria prevention and symptoms. The school has also introduced handwashing stations and placed hand sanitisers at various points, following WHO recommendations.
To further manage the situation, the academic calendar has been adjusted, with second-term examinations now scheduled to begin on Thursday at the main campus and Friday at the annexe, concluding next week. Mr. Oluwaleye urged parents to remain calm, assuring them that the situation was under control and that the school was collaborating with health authorities to curb the spread of the disease.
Meanwhile, an official from the school’s JSS section, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated that civil servants were not permitted to speak on such matters.
Diphtheria, a bacterial infection affecting the respiratory system, spreads through coughing, sneezing, or direct contact with an infected person. If untreated, it can cause severe complications or death. The outbreak at King’s College Lagos comes amid Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with diphtheria, as reported by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
Between 2022 and early 2025, Nigeria recorded 1,280 deaths and 41,978 suspected diphtheria cases across 350 local government areas in 37 states. Of these, 25,298 cases (60.3%) were confirmed, while thousands remain under review or unclassified.
