Niger Delta communities get classrooms

Education is seen as a means to improvement of lives among the Niger Delta communities which informs the building and funding of school projects by both public and private bodies to prepare thousands of children in the area for the future. A large number of the population in the region is said to reside in […]

Education is seen as a means to improvement of lives among the Niger Delta communities which informs the building and funding of school projects by both public and private bodies to prepare thousands of children in the area for the future.

A large number of the population in the region is said to reside in the rural areas typified by various factors that negatively influence the delivery of quality education. Many rural communities and their schools lack basic infrastructure for sanitation, water and roads.

The socio-economic realities of the rural areas put learners in rural schools at a disadvantage. 

 The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs recently built and handed over six blocks of classrooms to some communities in all states in the region in a bid to complement and improve the learning environment of the students.

 The classrooms were well furnished and provided with state-of-the-art equipment to be at par with standards set by quality assurance agencies. 

The minister, Usani Uguru, while inaugurating one of the projects at Ode-Aye in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, disclosed that provision of classrooms was a further proof of the dedication of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to lessen the pains and improve the living standard of students in the Niger Delta region.

He assured the people of the state that the Federal Government would deal with the problem of unequal distribution of academic resources in the region and expand access to schools, adding that “the ministry is passionately seeking better and faster ways of delivery on its mandate.”

The minister called on the benefiting communities to look after public schools and provide a healthy and safe learning environment, noting the improvement of lives in  the region was the responsibility of all.

The ministry was said to have used the needs assessment method to identify and determine schools that deserve little or extra support. Authorities paid more attention to communities with schools with dilapidated structures as well as those lacking adequate structures within the oil producing region.

Sources said the school projects were expected to positively impact and develop the livelihood of the people of the region. The classrooms were part of the relief and intervention projects which were easily accommodated in the ministry’s yearly budgets.

 Information from the ministry revealed that completed projects were handed over directly to the benefitting communities in conjunction with the relevant local and state government authorities.

In 2016, the ministry was said to have spent the sum of N74,932,584.00 for the construction, furnishing and equipping of each block of six classrooms. Each block included toilets for staff and students. 

Each of the blocks built consisted of six classrooms, head teacher’s office, staff room, store and toilets for students and staff.

Other items included in the projects were boreholes and generating sets, office and classroom furniture, desktop computers, printers, scanners, projectors, whiteboards and photocopiers.

A source said the contract for the construction and equipping of all the blocks located in nine states in the region was awarded at the cost of N669,993,348.76.

The source further said  the classrooms were built at Odi in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Alaghodaro Primary School Izikhiri, in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State, Egbuoma Secondary School in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State and Army Day Secondary School Bori Camp in Obio Akpor Local Government of Rivers State.

Others are Methodist Primary School Edemaya in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, and Comprehensive Secondary School Nkor in Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State.