Civic technology platform, Monitng, has raised the alarm over the state of two public schools in Rafi Local Government Area - UBE Primary School in Gimi and Mamman Kontagora Technical School in Pandogari — describing the situation as “a direct assault on opportunity, dignity, and the right to education.”
Thousands of pupils in Niger State have been left to learn under trees and dilapidated structures, as government-owned schools in rural areas continue to decay despite the release of billions of naira in education funding over the years.
Civic technology platform, Monitng, has raised the alarm over the state of two public schools in Rafi Local Government Area - UBE Primary School in Gimi and Mamman Kontagora Technical School in Pandogari — describing the situation as “a direct assault on opportunity, dignity, and the right to education.”
During separate visits to both schools, Monitng found that pupils were studying on bare floors or under trees due to collapsed classrooms, lack of desks, no blackboards, and no learning materials.
“The school has been in a horrible state for the past three years. The two existing classroom blocks were destroyed by a windstorm, and since then, nothing has been done to rebuild them. The pupils now sit on bare floors, under trees, or along broken verandas, exposed to the sun and rain.
"There are no desks, no blackboards, no roofs, and no learning materials. These children are simply struggling to survive, not to learn,” the group said in an open letter addressed to Governor Bago.
“In the same school, over 5000 children have either been forced to endure these terrible conditions or have dropped out entirely due to the lack of classrooms.”
The platform added that despite several appeals by the Gimi community to both the Niger State House of Assembly and the National Assembly, nothing has changed.
“The community has not kept quiet. They have written several letters and appeals to their elected representatives at both the Niger State House of Assembly and the National Assembly, but nothing has changed.”
“Despite the billions of naira budgeted for education in Niger State, including federal and donor support through UBEC and other interventions, schools like UBE Gimi remain in ruins.”
At Mamman Kontagora Technical School in Pandogari, the group reported similar scenes of abandonment and neglect, with students learning under trees amid caved-in roofs and broken walls.
“We visited Mamman Kontagora Technical School in Pandogari, Kongoma Central Ward, Rafi LGA, Niger State, and were deeply shocked by the scale of abandonment.”
“This tragic situation has persisted for over a decade. Both the past and current administrations have turned a blind eye, despite repeated calls from the community.”
According to Monitng, the state has benefitted from huge sums of federal and international education support, including from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and donors such as UNICEF, DFID, USAID, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), and the World Bank. Yet, the impact remains invisible in rural communities.
“The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) alone disbursed over ₦250billion in counterpart funding to states for the improvement of basic education infrastructure, including renovation of schools, provision of learning materials, and teacher training. It begs the question, Where is the impact of this funding in rural communities like Pandogari?”
“Beyond UBEC, international donors such as UNICEF, DFID, USAID, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), and the World Bank have supported Niger State and Nigeria at large with millions of dollars in educational grants and interventions. These supports were meant to uplift the sector, especially in underserved areas. Yet, Mamman Kontagora Technical School continues to suffer neglect. It is unacceptable.”
The organisation is calling on Governor Umar Bago to declare a state of emergency in the education sector, noting that the crisis has gone far beyond neglect.
“We are calling on the Niger State government to declare a state of emergency in the education sector. Children across the state are learning in inhumane conditions, or not at all. This is unacceptable.”
“The future of Niger State depends on the quality of education we provide to our children today. Technical schools like this are crucial for building a skilled workforce. The continued abandonment of this school is a direct assault on opportunity, dignity, and the right to education.”
“This is a passionate plea. Let us end this cycle of neglect. The time to act is now.”
EXPOSED!!!
Dear Governor @HonBago
We visited UBE Primary School Gimi, the only primary school serving the Gimi community in Tegina Central Ward, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.
A clear symbol of the government’s neglect of basic education in rural communities.… pic.twitter.com/iQpZZpg7Vj— MonITNG (@monitng) August 7, 2025