On a warm Wednesday morning of July, everyone at the Sultan Maccido Institute for Qur’anic and General Studies School, Sokoto, appears busy and engrossed in their daily activities.
While commercial motorcyclists were seen moving to and fro the school entrance, which security guards manned, the students could be seen shuffling into their classrooms. Among them were SS3 students preparing for their upcoming exams under challenging conditions.
The school’s infrastructure tells a dismal story, with leaking roofs, worn-out doorways, doorless entries, gutted buildings in the primary section that need attention due to inadequate facilities.
Rotting ceiling in a hostel section of the school Photo: PC, Hussain Wahab
Attesting to the deplorable state of the school, Faruq Muhammad Yabo, who doubles as the Quality Assurance officer and Biology teacher, could not hide his dismay over the poor school infrastructure and the condition of the hostels.
“The school is not in good condition, especially during the rainy season you cannot think that a student can sleep there (hostel). For learning to be successful, it must take place in a conducive environment. Since the establishment of the school, there has been no drainage in the staff quarters. Government intervention is needed, particularly for laboratory equipment and also better facilities in the library,” he lamented.
Speaking further, Mr Yabo said before the arrival of the new Director of the institute, Abubakar Haji, ”things were worse than the current status but the Director put some things in place which included light in the classrooms and administrative block as they await the government intervention”.
A gutted building at the primary section with no intervention. Photo: Hussain Wahab
“There was one time when the committee from the state house (of Assembly) came to visit the school and supervise all the sections which include the male, female and primary sections and they promised that very soon the school would be in the next project,” revealed Mr Yabo.
A student expressed his frustration with the deteriorating conditions.
“I started this school in SS1, and it wasn’t as bad as it is now. We used to have globes (light bulbs) and fans, but not anymore. Although we have enough chairs in the classrooms; the hostels are barely habitable.”
Another classroom blockPhoto: Hussain Wahab.
He detailed the struggles students face during the rainy season.
“All the hostel rooms leak, so students move their belongings to dry areas and use buckets to collect water from the leaking roofs,” he said.
Challenges
At the Sultan Maccido Institute, students face difficulties whenever it rains. They have to mop and clean the dormitories before going to class the following day.
“The rain affects our sleep and studies whenever it falls at night, making it hard to prepare for early morning classes,” a student said as he pleaded with the government to provide roofing materials, equipment and a conducive environment to prevent cholera outbreaks ”like the one we experienced 2-3 years ago due to lack of potable and hygienic water”.
Ceiling of a hostel entrance at Sultan Maccido Institute Photo: Hussain Wahab
Education in Nigerian context
According to the International Journal of Scientific Research in Education, many schools need facility upgrades in Nigeria. Over the years, despite UNESCO’s recommendation to allocate 15% of the budget to the education sector, the Nigerian government has failed to meet this demand.
This persistent underfunding has resulted in substandard learning environments, inadequate teaching facilities, and understaffed schools. Only the rich can afford private schools, while others are left with under-resourced public schools, leading to poor academic performance.
Dr Muritala Akanbi Yusuf, an education lecturer from Usmanu Danfodiyo University commented that good learning can only take place in a resourced and conducive environment while emphasising that quality of education determines the growth and development of a nation.
“If the classroom is not appealing and conducive, you cannot learn. An environment that does not have required resources for learning will pose a problem of out-of-school children and poor academic outcomes.”
Dr Yusuf stated that it appears that Nigerians emphasise more on the certification because the students just want to graduate regardless of any deplorable condition.
“Most secondary and primary public are dead; the government succeeded in killing the union because of this attitude. We plead to (with) the government, philanthropists and NGOs to revitalise schools. Education is an important tool through which personal and societal development can be attained,” he added.
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In a report, Muhammed Ibrahim, a professor at the Department of Curriculum Studies and Educational Technology, Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto State said the allocation to the education sector falls short of the resources needed for growth.
Despite the sector’s allocation, most of the funds injected into the country’s budget remain unreleased, leaving many schools like Sultan Maccido Institute battling subpar facilities and deplorable conditions.
Projects
According to the 2021 Sokoto State budget, N60 million was allocated for renovating 15 blocks of classrooms, while N10 million was earmarked for hostel renovations.
However, a visit to the school in June and July this year revealed a disheartening reality: the promised renovations and repairs from the budget have not been executed. The school needs improvement — its current state characterises deplorable conditions, worn-out entries, gutted buildings in the primary section, and barely habitable hostels.
A student highlighted the severe challenges in the hostels and said they sometimes sleep outside.
“When it rains, the water enters our rooms. The mattresses are torn, the light is unstable, no fan and some classes still use poor blackboards. We need proper sleeping arrangements and better facilities,” he said.
Mr Yabo added that the school’s lack of proper drainage has exacerbated these problems, with two or more houses at the staff quarters often suffering from erosion during the rainy season.
“Since the establishment of the school, there has been no drainage in the staff quarters,” he told UDEME.
Similarly, this mirrored a staffer, Isah Muhammad’s comments. He told UDEME that the hostels and the classrooms need windows, doors, chairs, ceilings and lockers.
Inside a students’ hostelPC Hussain Wahab
The Director of the Institute, Abubakar Haji, while echoing these sentiments, emphasised the need for comprehensive renovations.
“The conditions are definitely affecting the students’ learning. We hope for a total renovation of the school, including the library and central mosque. The school last experienced renovation in 2008 about 16 years ago.”
He said many promises made in the past by the government were in vain ”but recently, they (from the state government) visited the school; we also heard that the government is planning to renovate the school soon”.
One of the classroom buildingsPhoto: Hussain Wahab
We need good sports facilities and an acquisition centre — Teacher
Abdulwahab Abubakar, the Physical and Health education teacher in the school, said the government has yet to renovate the roofing, windows, and ceilings as promised. He said that apart from those mentioned, the school needs sporting facilities, an acquisition centre, and general renovations “to meet up with the modern-age infrastructure materials and other teaching aids like a projector, white markerboard, and charts to reinforce understanding.”
Also, Mr Abubakar said mattresses, dustbins and more toilets are needed in the hostels.
“Regarding extracurricular activities like sports, many students are now focusing on football because of its cheapness and availability. We need sports facilities for students to be active and actively involved in sporting activities. Sports should be promoted so that every student can have options and we (teachers) will be able to train them,” Mr Abubakar told UDEME.
UNICEF reports that sports profoundly impact individuals by building their physical strength, mental confidence and independence. Its recent report revealed that participation in sports also enhances educational outcomes and develops crucial life skills including leadership, self-esteem, and future success.
Otuekong Aniedi Akpaneto, a sports expert, while emphasizing the significance of sports on students’ lives and academics, explained that it improves their mental workout, fosters teamwork and harmony.
“Sports are essential for students as they offer a mental workout, games like chess and football enhance cognitive skills. Moreover, sports bring students together, creating happiness, fostering harmony and teamwork, particularly when they share a common goal as teammates,” he said.
Mr Abubakar stated that the school needs a health club and acquisition centre. “We also need a health club and an acquisition centre particularly for science students to make something on their own. This will let the students be active and love the school more.”
Efforts
In an effort to seek further clarification on the amount released, on July 30, UDEME sent a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the office of the Permanent Secretary of Sokoto State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Ibrahim Umar seeking specific comments on:
– Releases made for the projects
– Amounts released
– Contractor names and contacts.
FOI request to the Ministry
The Personal Assistant (P.A) to the permanent secretary, Naziru Ibrahim, acknowledged the letter and said, “The Ministry will get back to you.”
However, when filing this report, the ministry had not responded, and the PA did not pick up the reporter’s calls.
Pressing further, this reporter also contacted the Director of School Services in Sokoto, Aminu Abubakar. He responded that Sultan Maccido is not under the State Universal Basic Board, where he is serving.
By: Hussain Wahab
This story was supported with funding from the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
The post SPECIAL REPORT: Despite millions of naira budgeted, students, staffers lament over deteriorating Sokoto school facility appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Naomisophyblog.
