World Class Schools Infrastructure Coming To Niger Delta Creeks, Says NCDMB
Courtesy of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), an initiative to build, upgrade and equip schools in the creeks of the Niger Delta that will meet world standard is underway.
The scheme is coming under the ‘back to the creeks/villages agenda of the NCDMB which seeks to turn things around in the education sector and give a face-lift to structures in the region, while also boosting the capacity of personnel in the schools.
As part of efforts to give life to the plan, the Board is partnering the Universal Basic Education Board. Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Felix Omatsola Ogbe said at a meeting with officials of UBEC that the partnership would lead to the revamping of dilapidated primary schools especially in the creeks of the Niger Delta and other parts of the country.
Ogbe who spoke on the need to develop schools in remote parts of Nigeria also said steps have already been taken to get the buy in of some international oil producing companies to ensure that the dream is fulfilled and on time.
He underscored the strategic need to focus attention on the basic education level and develop the capacities of young Nigerians, rather than intervening at the senior secondary or tertiary levels.
Ogbe said details of strategy for the back to the creeks/villages initiative was still being fine-tuned and would soon be unveiled to industry stakeholders.
At the meeting which had in attendance, the UBEC executive secretary, Dr Hamid Bobboyi at the NCDMB’s Abuja liaison office, the two agencies agreed to set up a joint committee that would finalize details of the collaboration, with the overall goal of contributing meaningfully to the future of the Nigerian economy.
Before now, NCDMB had developed over 150 ICT centres in secondary schools across the country and upgraded select technical colleges as well as intervened in some universities as part of its institutional strengthening programme, supported by international and indigenous oil producing companies..
In his remarks, the UBEC boss had suggested that NCDMB should partner with the agency to develop, equip and operate digital resources centres and smart school solutions in states of the federation.
He lamented the embarrassing state of basic educational institutions across the country and remarked that a nation that neglected the first level education had invariably embraced a bleak economic future and dysfunctional society.
He lamented the challenges affecting the development of basic education in the country, including insufficient budget, and lack of interest by some state governors, among other issues.
