The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) plans to build five smart boarding schools in Niger State. Its team is in Minna on a preparation mission, and work is expected to start in December.
The schools fall under the bank’s Smart Education Transformation Project, called SmartEdu. The $110m project will also run in Yobe and Jigawa States.
The team leader, Imtiaz Alam, led the delegation on a courtesy visit to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago at the Government House in Minna. He said the team came to consult and plan with state officials. The goal is to agree how the project will be carried out well.
Mr Alam said the schools will be large, modern boarding facilities. Work will begin after the preparation mission ends and approvals are given. That should happen by December this year.
What the schools will offer
Dr Hadiza Mohammed, the Commissioner for Basic Education, gave details of the plan. The five schools will cover basic education up to senior secondary level. They will be spread across the state.
She said the schools will have digital learning, reliable power and water supply. Teachers and school managers will also get training. In her words, the project will give children “the opportunity to have a safe, well-equipped school with trained teachers and access to modern tools”.
Governor Bago said the project gives the state hope of having mega schools. He said the schools will be well equipped with information and communication technology (ICT). He added that children from poor homes will get a chance to use computers and learn in modern ways.
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The state will also prepare its own staff. The governor said it will begin hiring staff and teachers who will take over the project. They will then hand it over to the state.
The project also aims to modernise education systems and expand digital learning. It will build or repair schools. It will also tackle the number of children who are out of school.
The bank’s work in the state
Mr Alam said the IsDB has run smoothly in Niger State through the New Niger Development Project. He praised the governor for good coordination. He said the governor’s leadership was one reason the bank chose the state.
The bank already has other projects in Niger State. These are the Minna-Bida road, a bilingual education project and a 100mw solar project. Governor Bago said the bank has finished three projects under his administration.
The governor thanked the bank for the bilingual school. He also thanked it for the Minna-Bida road and its help with the RAMP project.
Idris Dahiru Barde led the delegation from the Federal Ministry of Finance. He said the ministry monitors all IsDB projects. It rates the Minna-Bida road as one of the best being carried out.
Mr Barde said the road is the only project to reach about 75 per cent completion in just two years. He praised Governor Bago for his commitment and quick action on the work.
Dr Mohammed thanked three bodies for choosing Niger State. They are the IsDB, the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Universal Basic Education Commission. She also thanked them for their support and guidance.
WHAT READERS SHOULD KNOW
The school plan sits beside a road project that is already moving fast. The Minna-Bida road has reached about 75 per cent in two years. The Federal Ministry of Finance has singled it out among all IsDB projects.
The bank’s work in the state is also wide. It now covers roads, solar power and two kinds of school projects. Three of its projects are finished under the current administration.
The state has a task ahead as well. It must hire the staff and teachers who will run the schools. They will take over the project and later hand it over to the state.
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