Niger State Government defends renovation of 6 schools with N2.1billion

The Niger State Government recently announced that it spent N2.1billion renovating 6 schools in the state. After the statement sparked outrage and criticism, they have come out to defend themselves, saying the amount was not inflated.

Speaking during a telephone conversation with Punch, the Commissioner for Education, Hajiya Fatima Magudu, said the volume of construction in the schools was worth the expenditure. Adding that contractors had been paid 25 per cent of funds. She said:

“Have you been to the schools? Go to these schools and assess the jobs going on there. They are science and conventional schools and we are adopting a whole school development approach. 

There are staff quarters, new classrooms, libraries and everything that you can think of in a school environment. We are renovating to the standard of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. The scope of work going on is even more than the budget and the state government is committed to lifting the faces of these schools that have deteriorated.

“Twenty-five per cent of the budget has been released to the contractors and another is being expected. We cannot ascertain the number of schools that we are going to renovate but many schools will be included in the project. We are confident that the renovation will be completed this year,’’ she said.

The renovated schools are the Government Secondary School, Kutigi; Government Secondary School, Bida; Mariam Babangida Girls’ Secondary School, Minna; Government Secondary School Izom; Government Girls Secondary School Kontagora and Government Secondary School, Rijau.