This incident has raised fresh concerns about the quality of construction and the use of public funds on the multibillion-naira education project.
A recently completed Smart Green School built by the Enugu State government at Ishielu Amagunze, in Nkanu East Local Government Area, has suffered major structural damage after a windstorm blew off the roof of the one-storey building.
This incident has raised fresh concerns about the quality of construction and the use of public funds on the multibillion-naira education project.
A video clip of the damaged school, seen by SaharaReporters on Saturday, shows the roof completely torn off the building, with wooden frames and roofing sheets scattered behind the school complex.
The facility was reportedly completed and already in use before the incident.
In the video, voices of residents can be heard expressing gratitude that the incident occurred when pupils were not in session, while lamenting what could have turned into a major disaster for the community.
“Let us thank God that the children were not in school. One can only imagine the level of disaster that would have happened,” one voice said.
Community members and commentators in the video questioned the integrity of the project, alleging poor structural engineering and shoddy execution of contracts.
“This Ishielu Amagunze Smart School was recently completed and declared functional, yet a simple windstorm blew off the entire roof,” a commentator said.
“If you go to Awkpufu community and see the so-called Smart School project there, you will begin to ask serious questions about the criteria for selecting contractors handling these projects.”
The incident has renewed public debate over allegations of substandard construction, contract inflation, and possible kickbacks associated with the Smart School programme.
Governor Peter Mbah’s administration has consistently touted education as a flagship sector, committing enormous public resources to the Smart Green School initiative across the state.
According to official budget documents for the 2026 budget proposal, the Enugu State Government earmarked: "₦158 billion for the construction of 16 Smart Senior Secondary Schools.
"₦68 billion for the construction of 10 Technical and Vocational Education and Training Schools (TVETs) across the state, including workshops, science laboratories, hostels, and technical equipment.
"₦30 billion for equipping and furnishing technical colleges.
"₦15 billion for upgrading 106 public secondary schools into model senior secondary schools.
"₦10 billion for equipping and furnishing Smart Schools across the state’s 260 political wards and ₦30 billion for a school feeding programme across Smart Schools statewide."
In total, well over ₦300 billion has been budgeted or proposed for education infrastructure, equipment, and feeding programmes under the Smart School initiative for the 2026 fiscal year.
The destruction of a newly completed facility by a windstorm has triggered public calls for accountability, particularly given the scale of funds committed to the programme.
Residents and observers argue that projects executed with such massive public investment should meet basic engineering standards capable of withstanding routine weather conditions.
Experts note that while windstorms are not uncommon in the region, properly designed and constructed school buildings should not suffer catastrophic structural failure so soon after completion.
As of the time of filing this report, the Enugu State government and relevant education authorities had yet to issue an official statement explaining the cause of the structural failure or announcing any investigation into the incident.
Civil society groups and concerned citizens are now calling for an independent technical audit of Smart School projects across the state to assess construction quality, contractor compliance, and value for money.
For many residents of Ishielu Amagunze, the incident has shifted the conversation from policy ambition to implementation realities.
“Education is important, but our children must be safe,” a community member said. “If this can happen to a new school, then something is clearly wrong.”