Nyesom Wike has said his administration is focused on providing access to education and ensuring a quality and conducive environment for learning. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory has commenced the rehabilitation and reconstruction of 19 schools in the nation’s capital. Mr Wike flagged off the rehabilitation at the School of the Gifted in the Gwagwalada Area Council on 21 March. The minister had promised to rehabilitate schools across the six area councils of the territory to provide the best education services in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu for sustainable development. He said the administration is focused on providing access to education and ensuring a quality and conducive environment for learning. He emphasized that it is not only access to education that matters but also the quality of education provided.
The minister stated that the quality of education includes the environment being conducive and habitable. He noted that the administration is also looking into providing quality teachers to teach the children. He said, “It is not only access to education. If you give access to education without quality, then you have not given education. While we are providing access, we must also provide quality, and the quality entails that the environment must be conducive and habitable. So, be assured that we will give you the best. We are also looking into the teachers too, how we are going to provide quality teachers to teach our children.” Wike has assured the contractors working on the rehabilitation and reconstruction project of the selected schools of timely payment. He said funding for the project had been provided in the 2023 FCT supplementary budget. The minister explained that provision has also been made in the 2024 statutory budget for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 20 additional schools saying “Let me assure you, contractors, that nobody will be owed. As I came in, there was a file I met in the office. I made sure that your mobilization has been sent to the bank so that you don’t need to worry yourself. That has been done,”.
Mr Wike also said he has been given a marching order by President Tinubu to give attention to the health sector. He said the rehabilitation work will commence in the health sector soon.
According to him, the budget has been passed, and the administration is coming back to Gwagwalada for the General Hospital to make sure that the best is provided. He said, “I can assure you now that the budget has been passed, we are coming back to Gwagwalada for the General Hospital in Gwagwalada to make sure that you are given the best. That is the essence of the Renewed Hope Agenda. All those times you have lost hope, the hope is back under the government of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu,”. He thanked the National Assembly for expeditiously passing the FCT’s 2024 statutory budget, saying “It means that you want us to start work without any hesitation.” Speaking at the event, the FCT Minister of State, Mariya Mahmoud, commended Mr Wike’s development efforts, which were in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr Tinubu. Mrs Mahmoud stated the importance of education as the bedrock of the development of any nation and the cornerstone of progress. She said the rehabilitation of the schools will provide the students with a conducive and very suitable place for their learning for them to achieve their dreams. She narrated that the administration is happy to have this flag-off for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of some of the dilapidated buildings. The minister of state said the school project is aimed at revitalizing educational infrastructure in schools with a focus on rehabilitating and constructing various school facilities such as classrooms, laboratories, libraries, administrative blocks, toilets, and water systems. She emphasized that the goal is to enhance the learning environment, promote educational excellence, and ensure that students and teachers have access to quality facilities conducive to their academic teacher’s development. She said, “We are happy to have this flag-off for reconstruction and also rehabilitation of some of the dilapidated buildings. This is just the beginning as Mr. Project is on board and as he has said, we still come back to Gwagwalada for the next achievement. That’s where we will look at health and that’s where you will hear our voice soon.”
Earlier in his welcome address, the Secretary for Education, Danlami Hayyo, had said that the school project was aimed at revitalizing educational infrastructure in schools with a focus on rehabilitating and constructing various school facilities such as classrooms, laboratories, libraries, administrative blocks, toilets, and water systems.
“The goal is to enhance the learning environment, promote educational excellence, and ensure the students and teachers have access to quality facilities conducive to their academic and teachers’ development,” he said. Mr. Hayyo also commended the minister for the recent approval for the disbursement of about £280 million (£280,296,000) as a scholarship to 13,964 fresh and existing indigent students across all levels of education in the FCT as part of efforts to leave no child behind in the quest for an educated society. The Chairmen of Senate and House of Representatives Committees on the FCT Area Councils and Auxiliary Matters, David Jimkuta and Fred Agbedi, both commended Mr Wike for his drive towards educational excellence and enjoined all stakeholders to support him in the quest.
