Plateau to build 55 secondary schools

The Plateau Government has awarded contracts for the construction of 55 new secondary schools across the state.

Gov. Caleb Mutfwang disclosed this when he signed the contract documents on Wednesday in Jos.

The governor noted that the move was part of his commitment toward overhauling and improving the education sector .

He explained that the projects would be implemented in conjunction with the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), funded by the World Bank.

Mutfwang stressed that the projects were designed to particularly empower the girl child, noting that the education of women was key to the development of the state.

”These projects, involving the construction of 35 Junior and 20 senior secondary schools ,are being implemented under the AGILE project, funded by the World Bank.

”They are a crucial investment in improving the learning environment for our children in the state.

”We will ensure that they meet the highest standards; our supervising mechanisms will be top-notch because we want to set a precedent with this initiative.

”We will do this so that when the World Bank team comes for evaluation, we will not be found wanting,” Mutfwang said.

The governor, who disclosed that the projects would be be funded through loans, urged the contractors to strictly adhere to set specifications.

He said that anyone found not doing what was expected of him would be sanctioned.

Speaking, Me Mohammed Nyalun, the Commissioner for Secondary Education in the state, thanked the World Bank and the Federal Government for supporting education in the state.

According to him, the initiative is crucial toward ensuring that every child in the state accesses quality education via conducive learning environment.

On his part, Mr Shirinkpo Maina, the Project Coordinator of AGILE in the state, noted that the projects would lay the groundwork for inclusive and quality education that would be accessible to every child, regardless of background.