The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, on Tuesday, July 7, officially commissioned the Ogbo Central Smart School, Ubakala, built by the Abia State Government under Governor Alex Otti to enhance education and enable Abia children to compete favourably with their counterparts globally.
Commissioning the facility, Dr. Alausa commended Governor Otti for his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to transforming education through strategic investments in human capital.
He noted that sustainable development is not measured solely by physical infrastructure such as roads and bridges, but by deliberate investments in education and the intellectual capacity of the people.
“The Governor’s education reforms are aimed at equipping every child in Abia State with the knowledge and skills required to compete successfully at the local, national and global levels,” the Minister said.
“That’s what we are witnessing in Abia State today. When you have a Governor that is committed and thought and said, ‘I’m going to build a smart school, not just one, not two, not three, not four, but ten, twenty,’ that’s a Governor that cares for the people. That’s a Governor that wants your kids to lead Nigeria and lead the world.
“Today, your kids and Abia children will sit in this school. They will get the best educational material that a child in America, in London would also have right here in this community. They will learn how to use AI. Five years from now, ten years from now, Abia will lead the world,” Dr. Alausa stated.
In his speech titled “Tomorrow is the Reward,” Governor Otti said the smart school in Ubakala is the first of three such projects to be commissioned this month across the three senatorial districts of the State. He added that another 17 smart schools, one in each Local Government Area, will be commissioned for use by pupils.
“Evidently, Abia has moved into a new era of technology-driven and participatory model of learning.
“Each of the 20 smart schools that will dot our landscape by the end of the year shall be equipped with an interactive board, and each pupil – 300 per school, 30 in a classroom – will be handed a tablet to support their learning experience,” Gov. Otti stated.
He noted that the events of the past 24 hours – the commissioning of the Manu-Tech UniPod and now the smart school – are indicative of his administration’s priority for the remainder of the year and beyond.
“Today, we are here to commission a smart school that promises to change the face of public education in the State. The overarching agenda is to transform our human capital into the central engine of economic growth and accelerated development.
“Our focus has gone past the old mindset of going to school to pick a certificate and join the queue of job seekers thereafter. We are poised to launch a mass of educated and visionary leaders who will go on to harness the untapped resources in our environment for widespread prosperity, as we see in other parts of the world,” Gov. Otti stated.
The Governor declared that education in the smart schools will be free and compulsory. He warned against all forms of extortion by teachers and any attempt to vandalise school infrastructure anywhere in the State.
Responding to requests by the President General of Ubakala Improvement Union, the Governor directed the Commissioner for Works to install speed limits on the Ubakala road and the Commissioner for Environment to address the erosion menace in the area.
In his address, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi, described the event as a declaration that Abia State is preparing her children for the future, and a realisation of a bold vision. He thanked the Governor for consistently demonstrating that education is not just a sector, but the foundation on which the future of the children will be built.
The Executive Chairman, Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), Lady Lydia Onuoha, said the Smart School Initiative is a strategic investment aimed at equipping Abia children with the skills required to thrive in the 21st-century global economy.
She disclosed that the newly commissioned Ogbo Central Smart School comprises 13 digitally equipped classrooms, an Early Childhood Care Development Centre, a modern library, a 30-seat ICT centre, a sick bay, and a dedicated girls’ room.
The Chief Executive Officer of Blue Giraffe Development Limited, Mrs. Orieji Okwara-Emele, said the project will shape young minds. She thanked the Governor for his commitment to ensuring the development of education for children in Abia State, noting that the impact of the school on the children is invaluable.
Also speaking, the President, Ubakala Improvement Union, Elder Godwin Obioma Mbaonu, expressed the community’s gratitude, describing the commissioning as “the opening of a new chapter of basic education” in their community and the State, and “a gift of immeasurable value.”
“This is a legacy of visionary leadership. Ubakala people stand to say thank you. We will show our appreciation in 2027,” Elder Mbaonu stated.
Earlier, the Governor conducted the visiting Minister of Education round the Nnenna Otti Bus Terminal and ongoing Governor’s Office and Lodge projects in Government House, Umuahia.
The Governor was joined by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr, Emmanuel Meribeole, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, Ph.D, Commissioners among other senior officials of the Government.
Ctz. UKOHA, NJOKU UKOHA
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State
