Isiyaku Ahmed
The Grassroots Center for Rights & Civic Orientation (GRACO) has called on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration and the six Area Councils to urgently rehabilitate dilapidated public primary schools in rural communities, warning that the conditions pose serious learning and safety risks to pupils.
The organisation said some pupils in the affected schools were forced to sit on bare floors or pieces of planks due to a lack of desks and chairs, while damaged roofs and ceilings exposed children to harsh weather conditions.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Executive Director, Armsfree Ajanaku, GRACO identified LEA Primary School, Makanima, near Giri along Airport Road in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), and a public school in Kigbe community, Yebu Ward, Kwali Area Council, as among the facilities requiring urgent intervention.
At the Makanima school, the organisation said roofing sheets had been blown off, leaving rafters exposed, while ceiling boards damaged by rainwater hung loosely over empty desks.
GRACO alleged that the school’s deteriorating condition had been repeatedly brought to the attention of the authorities without any meaningful response, adding that officials of the Area Council and the FCT Administration had yet to visit the facility to assess the situation.
The organisation said pupils at the school in Kigbe community also faced similar challenges, with some sitting on bare floors and others relying on pieces of planks in the absence of proper classroom furniture.
It questioned why children in the affected communities had been left to study under such conditions, stressing that access to basic education was a right guaranteed to every Nigerian child.
Citing the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act, 2004, GRACO noted that Section 2(1) requires every government in Nigeria to provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for children of primary and junior secondary school age.
The organisation described the situation as unacceptable, particularly in view of the resources available to governments following the removal of the fuel subsidy.
It stressed that basic education was fundamental to citizenship, personal development and economic empowerment, adding that children in rural communities should not be denied a conducive learning environment.
GRACO also recalled that the FCT Administration announced the approval of N30.9 billion for the rehabilitation of public schools across the territory in February 2024.
It further noted that the FCT Universal Basic Education Board had acknowledged that schools in Kwali, Abaji, Gwagwalada and Kuje were overstretched by rising enrolment.
Against this backdrop, the organisation called for accountability regarding the implementation of the rehabilitation programme, demanding details of the schools renovated and those still awaiting intervention.
It said the conditions at Makanima and Kigbe suggested that some rural and community schools had yet to benefit from the government’s rehabilitation efforts.
While acknowledging concerns over the constitutional responsibility of Area Councils for primary education, GRACO urged the FCT Administration and the six Area Councils to work together rather than allow disagreements over responsibility to delay action.
The organisation called on the FCT Administration, through the Education Secretariat and the FCT Universal Basic Education Board, to immediately renovate the two schools and provide desks and chairs for pupils currently learning without adequate furniture.
It also urged the chairmen of AMAC and Kwali Area Council to visit the affected communities without delay and engage with parents, teachers and community leaders to understand their needs.
Beyond the two schools, GRACO demanded a comprehensive and transparent audit of public primary schools across the six Area Councils to identify unsafe buildings and determine the scale of rehabilitation required.
It also called on the FCT Administration to publish an updated status report on its school rehabilitation programme, detailing completed projects and schools still awaiting repairs.
As political parties and candidates prepare for the 2027 general elections, the organisation urged citizens to demand measurable and verifiable commitments from aspirants on improving basic education and other essential public services.
