A civil society organisation (CSO) that tracks government projects and public infrastructure, MonITNG, has revealed that over 90% of schools and health facilities it has monitored in Niger State are dilapidated.
The CSO revealed this while describing the terrible state of Government Technical College, Bida in Niger State, whose environment has become unfit for learning as a result of its collapsed structures, in a statement shared on X on Saturday morning.
“From our ongoing monitoring of schools and health facilities across Niger State, we can boldly state that the so-called 70% allocation is only media propaganda. In reality, over 90% of schools and health facilities remain in dilapidated conditions, with cracked walls, leaking roofs, and collapsed classrooms,” the statement read in part.
Speaking on the impacts of the deplorable conditions of some of the schools in Niger State, MonITNG revealed that many parents have withdrawn their children from public schools because there is no single safe classroom left standing in some communities.
“Those who can afford it have turned to nearby private schools, while the less privileged, who form the majority, have no choice but to keep their children at home or send them into farming and menial jobs. This deepens the number of out-of-school children in Niger State and widens inequality,” the CSO noted.
It also urged the Niger State Government to declare a state of emergency in the health and education sector, adding that the neglect of health facilities and schools in underserved communities across the state is a betrayal of campaign promises made to the people.
“Empty declarations without action only worsen public trust. We call on the government to match words with action by immediately renovating schools like Government Technical College Bida and investing in technical and vocational training that will empower young people with skills for the future.
“Education should not be a privilege, it is the foundation of development. Niger State cannot continue like this.”
