The Niger State Government has said it needs N7.4bn to rehabilitate six technical colleges and five vocational schools in dire need of infrastructure.
The state government added that it was looking to the Russian and Chinese governments for help to repair the schools, adding that it was handicapped “by a paucity of funds”.
The Permanent Secretary, Niger State Ministry of Education, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, stated these in an exclusive interview with our correspondent on the sorry state of the Niger State Suleman Bara’u Science and Technical College in the Suleja area of the state on Tuesday.
Aliyu said apart from the college, 10 other schools were in need of repair.
Our correspondent on November 7 reported that all was not well at the Suleiman Bara’u Science and Technical College, with students sleeping daily on the bare floor in dilapidated hostels which also lacked windows, doors and toilets.
But Aliyu told our correspondent on Tuesday that the state government had listed 11 technical colleges and schools for rehabilitation and was waiting for the Russian and Chinese governments for assistance.
He said, “It is not just Suleman Bara’u college. You know that we have over 250 junior secondary schools and 150 senior secondary schools, and over 3,000 primary schools. Some of these schools were constructed over 40 years ago.
“So far, we have done the analysis of 11 technical colleges and schools with a view to taking them one after the other. We have done a comprehensive review of the technical schools and vocational schools with a view to rebuilding the infrastructure, reequipping them and training the teachers to meet the present day demands of the sector.
“However, there is a paucity of funds. I know that the governor has had course to visit the Russian and Chinese ambassadors with a view to taking a holistic look at the schools.
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