Students of Junior Secondary School Gwako 1 in Gwagwalada Area Council, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, are subjected to learning in appalling conditions after a violent storm destroyed the school’s buildings, leaving classrooms roofless and exposed to the elements.
A visit to the school by MonITNG, a civic technology platform, revealed a heartbreaking scene: dozens of students crammed into a single overcrowded classroom, while many others were forced to sit outside, exposed to the harsh sun or rain, just to receive lessons.
The report indicates that many students, unable to endure the harsh conditions, have dropped out.
For those who remain, education has become a daily struggle for survival, with parents left watching helplessly as their children suffer.
Since the storm struck, government intervention has been absent, despite multiple appeals from the community.
Parents and school authorities say they have written several letters to the Gwagwalada Area Council and FCT authorities, pleading for urgent repairs, but so far, their cries have been met with silence.
Faced with Government inaction, the community tried to raise funds to fix the damage themselves. But soaring prices of building materials have stalled their efforts, leaving the school buildings in ruins.
The report read, “Desperate to keep their children in school, community members came together to raise funds to fix the damage. But with the rising cost of building materials, their efforts quickly hit a wall.
“Despite their determination, they simply could not afford the repairs. Meanwhile, Government officials make announcements about education budgets, but those figures mean little to the children sitting under the open sky with no roof above their heads.
“Between 2023 and 2025, the FCT Administration allocated over ₦200 billion to the education sector.
“These funds were earmarked for renovating schools, building new ones, and even launching a new university in Abaji.
“International partners have also contributed through basic education programs and infrastructure support. Yet, schools like JSS Gwako 1 remain neglected, with no visible trace of these investments reaching them.”
MonITNG called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, Senator Ireti Kingibe, and the Gwagwalada Area Council to urgently intervene and restore the school’s infrastructure.
“No child should have to choose between safety and education. Every Nigerian child, regardless of their location or background, deserves a decent and secure place to learn. Let us act now because delay is denial, and every day lost puts another future at risk,” it added.