Niger rehabilitates three schools, released N1.7bn counterpart UBE funds

by Usman Alabi

The Niger State government on Thursday awarded the contract to renovate and reconstruct three of its secondary schools at the cost of about N2.3bn.

Mr Shuaibu Adamu, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education, disclosed this during the post-executive council meeting press briefing at the Government House, Minna.

The permanent secretary who represented the Commissioner for Education at the briefing said the new projects included the conversion of Baro Government Secondary School to a boarding school at a cost of N382.2m and the rehabilitation of Tegina Secondary School awarded at the cost of N290m.He also said that the rehabilitation of the Muazu Ibrahim Commercial Secondary School in Kontogora would cost the state government N361.4m.

Adamu said that work had reached appreciable level in the reconstruction of six other selected science schools under the government’s School Development Programme inaugurated about six months ago.

Adamu added that the government had released about N1.7bn counterpart marching funds to the Universal Basic Education to enable the state to begin renovation works in 400 primary schools as soon as the Federal Government released its funds to the scheme. He continued that the government had completed arrangement to revive three teacher training colleges in the three senatorial zones of the state aimed at improving the standard of education in the state.

He stated that the Women Teachers’ College in Minna will be revived and repositioned for the production of qualified teachers for the improvement of learning and teaching in public schools