Unity Schools’ Alumni, at the weekend, lamented the current state of public education in the country, saying that it falls drastically below the standard of UNESCO

President-General of the Unity Schools Old Students Association (USOSA), Michael Magaji, who made the observation during the 44th USOSA plenary session, held in Enugu, said it was regrettable that various public schools still lacked critical infrastructure for teaching and learning.

Magaji, said that according to UNESCO, over 20 million Nigerian children are currently out of school, adding that education in the country was not where it should be.

“Many schools still operate without electricity, Internet connectivity, desks and even trained teachers. That’s not just a statistic, but a generation at risk,” he said.

Magaji, who addressed a gathering of alumni, government officials, education stakeholders, and technology innovators, praised Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, for what he called “raising the stakes in education service delivery.”

He commended the Enugu State Government for pioneering the efforts in smart and digital education, describing the move as a bold step toward transforming public education in Nigeria. He said the smart schools stood as models to be replicated by other sub-national governments nationwide.

Magaji, therefore, urged state governments to adapt their education service delivery systems to the changing demands of the digital age. Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, who represented the governor, emphasised the vision behind the state’s smart school model.

He noted that many had dismissed Mbah’s ambitions, such as raising the state’s GDP from $4.4 billion to $30 billion, as theoretical, but they are now seeing it come to life.