Primary School Pupils Learn On Bare Floor As Building Lacks Desks, Roof, Toilets
The school suffers from blown roofs, broken walls, and lacks basic amenities such as windows, doors, toilets, and sufficient furniture.
Pupils of Numba Koro Primary School in Suleja Local Government Area, Niger State, have been enduring deplorable learning conditions for the past seven years without government intervention.
The school suffers from blown roofs, broken walls, and lacks basic amenities such as windows, doors, toilets, and sufficient furniture.
According to a public accountability platform, Tracka, consequently children are forced to sit on the bare floor during lessons and resort to using nearby bushes for sanitation needs.
This situation is a microcosm of a broader educational crisis in Niger State, which has one of the highest rates of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
According to a 2023 report by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), 40% of primary school-aged children in the state are not attending school, surpassing the national average of 22%.
This alarming statistic places Niger among the states with the most significant educational challenges in the country.
ATTENTION!!
Dear Gov @HonBago, Hon. Isyaku Bawa Naibi,
This is the current state of Numba Koro Primary school, Suleja LGA, Niger state.
For over 7 years, the children of Numba Koro have been learning under blown roofs, broken walls, no window, no door, no toilets, and… pic.twitter.com/l2NZIqJY5C
— Tracka (@TrackaNG) March 6, 2025
The contributing factors to this crisis are multifaceted. Poverty, inadequate educational infrastructure, and insecurity have all played roles in escalating the number of out-of-school children.
In 2022, the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB) reported that over 700,000 children were out of school, a situation exacerbated by banditry and attacks on educational institutions.
NSUBEB, highlighted the severity of the issue, stating, “The number of out-of-school children in Niger State as of the last time we took count in January 2022 was 743,056.”
However, the plight of Numba Koro Primary School remains unaddressed.
Tracka has expressed concerns, stating, “This is no way to live or learn.”
They have implored the offices of the Governor of Niger State, Umar Mohammed Bago, the Suleja Local Government Chairman, Isyaku Bawa Naibi, the Federal Ministry of Education, the Niger State Ministry of Education, and the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB) to facilitate the construction of a proper learning facility and supply instructional materials for the children of Numba Koro.
“Their education cannot wait!”
The deteriorating conditions at Numba Koro Primary School highlight the pressing need for immediate government intervention to ensure a safe and conducive learning environment for its students.
Addressing these infrastructural deficiencies is crucial to reversing the trend of declining school enrollment and securing a better future for the children of Niger State.
