Sultan Hanafi Royal Schools · Nigeria
Not the story of a building. The story of a childhood — from a toddler's first day to a Hafiz's last Juz’.
| Institution | Sultan Hanafi Royal Schools |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Sultan Hanafi Royal Schools, acting through the Office of the Founder & Head of Schools / Administrator |
| Address | 15, Imowonla Road, AP Bus Stop, Off Gberigbe–Agura Road, Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria |
| Website | shroyalschools.com |
| [email protected] | |
| Telephone | +234 (0) 807 374 7650 · +234 (0) 807 058 6860 |
| Copyright | © Sultan Hanafi Royal Schools. All rights reserved within the Institution. |
| Classification | Public institutional publication of Sultan Hanafi Royal Schools. |
| Archival Statement | Retained in the Institution's publications archive; superseded editions remain on record. |
| Printing Specification | Set for A4 (210mm × 297mm) digital distribution and print-on-demand reproduction. |
| Rights Statement | May be shared unaltered for admissions and public-information purposes; not for modification or commercial redistribution without the Institution's written authorisation. |
| Document Title | Sultan Hanafi Royal Schools — The Student Experience Edition |
| Document ID | SHRS-PUB-STUEXP-2026-001 |
| Edition | Edition I |
| Related Instrument | The Governance Charter of Sultan Hanafi Royal Schools (Policy GV-01 v3.0, Edition VII) |
| Institution Founded | July 2016 · Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria |
Every prospectus can list facilities and fees. Fewer can tell you what a Tuesday morning actually feels like for a seven-year-old walking into assembly, or a sixteen-year-old closing their Mus'haf after verifying their twentieth Juz’.
This edition is written for that reason. Every fact in it is real — the same institution described in our other publications — but told here through the people who live it every day: students, teachers, and the parents who trust us with their children.
A guide to the chapters ahead — each one a real part of the Sultan Hanafi student experience.
“Most of us parents have confirmed that the values and morals the school instils in our children are worth far more than the fees we pay.”
Dr Ismail Akeem Seriki · Parent, Three Children Enrolled
Chapter 07
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Sultan Zakaria, FounderSince 2016, Sultan Hanafi Royal Schools has taken children from the Imowonla community and given them access to the kind of education that was previously available only to the most privileged families in Nigeria. That sentence is easy to write. Living it, one child at a time, is the actual work.
Every parent who entrusts us with a child is trusting us with something larger than a curriculum — a formation of character, faith, and confidence that will outlast every exam they ever sit. This edition is our attempt to show you, not just tell you, what that formation looks like.
“Together, let us embark on a journey where every child discovers not only what they know, but who they are called to become.”
Zakariya Olanrewaju Anofi · Founder & Head of Schools/AdministratorWith an MSc from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt, a BSc from Oxford Brookes, and fellowships with the ACCA UK and ICAN, our Founder brings the same rigour he learned in finance and governance to the question every parent ultimately asks: will this school actually change my child's life? The chapters that follow are our honest answer.
Morning begins the same way for every child on campus, whichever of the five schools they belong to — with the day's first prayer, before the first lesson of any kind. From there, the paths diverge, and that divergence is the point: no two children at Sultan Hanafi walk exactly the same route through the day.
Beyond the daily timetable, the week carries its own rhythm — anchored by Jumu’ah and the weekend Islamic and Arabic Studies programme.
“And say: My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”
Surah Taha · 20:114Whichever school a child belongs to, this weekly rhythm is the same shared clock every family on campus lives by — a small, steady reminder that faith and learning are never scheduled around each other here. They happen together.
Daily recitation practice
Weekly recitation assemblyA full-immersion 24–36 month programme for students aged nine to sixteen — complete memorisation of the Noble Qur’an, mastery of Tajwid, and the Sciences of the Qur’an, culminating in a certified Ijazah. Each year, students take part in a Ramadan Qur’an Competition at the Royal College Auditorium, a tradition established in 2024 to mark the discipline this journey demands.
“Whoever guides someone to goodness will have a reward like the one who did it.”
Hadith · Sahih Muslim“Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees.”
Surah Al-Mujadilah · 58:11No two students move through these five stages at the same pace, and that is by design — the standard is complete, verified memorisation, not a fixed calendar. A student who needs an extra term on Murajaah gets it, without penalty, because forgetting a Juz’ later would cost far more than a slower fourth stage now.
Guided by the CLEVER framework, every student is mentored to lead — not someday, but starting now.
Creativity, Leadership, Engagement, Versatility, Ethics, Reliability — the shared language every teacher uses to describe growth that isn't captured on a report card.
Awarded to the top three academic performers in each class every term, established in 2024 by Mr Lukman Anofi, Board Member, in honour of academic distinction.
Games & recreation period
Inter-class spelling competitionAcademic rigour is only half the story. Spelling competitions, recreation periods, and hands-on technology workshops give students room to compete, build, and simply be children — the kind of ordinary joy that makes a school feel like a second home rather than an institution.
Not one exceptional child's story — the whole institution's, told through the marks it has already made.
By 2026, the Royal College had achieved Ministry Registration and seen its first cohort sit the Basic Education Certificate Examination — a milestone every student in that cohort now carries with them, regardless of individual results, as the class that proved the model works.
“Sultan Hanafi Royal Schools stands as a blueprint for how education can be a vehicle for transformative social change within marginalised communities.”
Punch Newspaper · November 2025
A visiting scholar's address
Commissioning Day, 2025No one describes the student experience more honestly than the parents who live its results at home.
“The calibre of teachers here is outstanding — skilled, certified, professional educators genuinely invested in each child's future.”
Mr Waliy Ojewumi · Engineer · Parent Since 2018“One thing I look out for in schools is the calibre of teachers they have. Most private schools don't employ quality teachers — but at SULTAN, in most of their recruitments they look for experienced educators with PhD, M.Sc., PGDE, or B.Sc. Education qualifications.”
Mr Waliy Ojewumi · Engineer · Parent Since 2018“Since joining SULTAN, the improvement in my children's academic performance and character has been remarkable.”
Dr Ismail Akeem Seriki · Parent, Three Children Enrolled
A classroom, mid-lesson
Chemistry Laboratory practical
For Royal College and Qur’an College students who board, campus life extends well past the final lesson bell. Shared meals, structured evening study, and the five daily prayers give boarding students a rhythm of their own — one that allows families beyond Ikorodu to entrust their children to Sultan Hanafi with confidence.
Commissioning Day, 2025
A visiting scholar's addressIn 2025, Sultan Hanafi Royal Schools was commissioned by Engr. Seyi Makinde, Executive Governor of Oyo State — a day students still describe when asked what it feels like to belong to this school. Visiting scholars, Ramadan competitions, and graduation days mark the calendar with the same seriousness as any exam.
“What we see here today is not merely a school building. What we see is a statement of faith — faith in education, faith in our children, and faith in what Nigeria can become.”
Engr. Seyi Makinde · Executive Governor, Oyo StateNursery, Primary, Royal College, Qur’an College, and School of Islamic and Arabic Studies — plus the newly established Online & Distance Learning School — five schools, one continuous experience.
From age two, the foundation of faith and academic discipline is laid before a child ever sits a formal exam.
Seven academic departments, JSS 1–3 and SSS 1–3, for students aged ten and above.
A parallel track for full Hifz immersion, open to students aged nine to sixteen.
Weekday and weekend programmes running alongside every other stage of the journey.
Newly established in 2026 — headship not yet appointed, with no students or curriculum yet.
We welcome families of every faith and background who share our commitment to academic excellence and Islamic values.
15, Imowonla Road, Off Gberigbe–Agura Road, Ikorodu, Lagos State · [email protected] · +234 (0) 807 374 7650
The Student Experience Edition
15, Imowonla Road, Ikorodu, Lagos State
[email protected] · +234 (0) 807 374 7650
shroyalschools.com · @shroyal_schools