CSO decries poor state of Niger school as 512 pupils drop out

A civil society organisation (CSO), MonITNG, has drawn the attention of the Niger State Government to Mawagi Primary School in the Lapai Local Government Area of the state, which now lies in ruins, forcing 512 pupils to abandon learning.

According to the CSO, the primary school is the only citadel of learning in the community, but its classrooms have become unsafe for children to learn in.

“As a result of this terrible state, over 512 pupils have stopped going to school. There are simply no classrooms for them to learn in.

Imagine the pain of young children eager for knowledge, forced to stay home because the environment meant to shape their future has been abandoned,” MonITNG stated.

It further noted that the condition of many other schools across the state bears a semblance to the Mawagi Primary School, with dilapidated classrooms, broken furniture, leaking roofs and cracked walls.

MonITNG knocked the Niger State Government for abandoning these schools and neglecting these underserved communities despite billions of naira allocated in the 2025 Niger State budget for education and the unutilised ₦250 billion Universal Basic Education (UBEC) funds available for states to access.

It questioned how states like Niger are utilising these resources when schools like Mawagi Primary School remain in pitiful conditions.

The implications of this neglect are dire, according to MonITNG.

” Niger State already struggles with one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children in Nigeria. Every neglected classroom adds to that burden, pushing more children onto the streets, cutting more dreams short, and wasting more futures. ”

MonITNG urged the Governor of Niger, Mohammed Umaru Bago, to declare a state of emergency in the education sector and fix schools in need of repairs.

“Dear Mr. Governor, our education system is collapsing. The future of our children is at stake. Fixing our schools is not charity; it is an obligation and an investment in the future of Niger State. Please act now, before we lose an entire generation to neglect.”