Uokha Grammar School Crumbles Despite $75m World Bank Education Project, ₦145bn Revenue Claim Raises Questions
By The Analyst
A disturbing picture of educational neglect has emerged from Uokha Community in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State, where the community’s only secondary school, Uokha Grammar School, has been left in a severely dilapidated condition, raising fresh questions about government accountability, education spending and the actual impact of billions of naira invested in the sector.
Photographs of the school show extensive damage to its buildings, with large sections of the roofing collapsed, exposed wooden roof supports, deteriorating walls, broken doors and windows, and an environment overtaken by vegetation.
The condition of the institution presents a troubling contradiction in a state that has repeatedly projected itself as a leading example of educational reform.
The development has attracted attention following a report by civic technology organisation, Monitoring Nigeria (MonITNG), which questioned how a community’s only secondary school could deteriorate to such an extent despite substantial education funding and public revenue received by the state.
According to MonITNG, approximately 10,000 people depend on the institution, making its condition a significant concern for the educational future of children in the community.
$75 million World Bank intervention under scrutiny
One of the central issues raised by the report is the $75 million World Bank-backed Edo Basic Education Sector and Skills Transformation Operation (Edo BESST), secured during the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The intervention was designed to strengthen basic education, improve learning outcomes, enhance teachers’ capacity and support the state's education system.
World Bank documentation indicates that approximately $69.56 million of the approved financing was disbursed, while the remaining $5.44 million was not disbursed.
The Obaseki administration also promoted the EdoBEST initiative, which sought to improve literacy, numeracy, teacher performance and learning outcomes through technology-supported instruction and other reforms.
However, the condition of Uokha Grammar School raises an important question about the reach and sustainability of those interventions, particularly in underserved rural communities.
While the existence of a World Bank-funded programme does not automatically mean that every public school was entitled to direct infrastructure rehabilitation under the project, the government owes citizens a transparent account of the programme's geographical coverage, beneficiaries, expenditure and measurable outcomes.
Education reforms cannot be judged exclusively by programme statistics, digital learning initiatives or official celebrations. The physical conditions in which children receive lessons must also form part of the assessment.
₦145 billion revenue claim and the responsibility of the current government
MonITNG also questioned the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo over what it described as more than ₦145 billion received by the state.
The organisation argued that the reported availability of substantial public resources makes the condition of the school even more difficult to justify.
Although the precise period and composition of the ₦145 billion figure require independent confirmation from official revenue and budget implementation records, the broader accountability question remains relevant.
Edo residents deserve to know how much the government receives, how much it allocates to education, what projects are executed and whether public expenditure is translating into improved services.
The responsibility of the current administration is not limited to criticising the policies of its predecessor. It must also demonstrate that it is addressing inherited infrastructure deficiencies and preventing further deterioration of public institutions.
Governor Okpebholo's administration should therefore treat the situation at Uokha Grammar School as an urgent intervention rather than another report to be acknowledged and forgotten.
Successive administrations must answer
The condition of Uokha Grammar School raises questions that extend beyond the immediate administration.
The Obaseki government must account for the implementation and geographical distribution of its education interventions, while the Okpebholo administration must explain what concrete measures it is taking to rehabilitate neglected public schools.
The following questions deserve answers:
1. Was Uokha Grammar School included in any intervention under Edo BESST or EdoBEST?
2. What education infrastructure projects were executed in Uokha and other communities in Owan East during the Obaseki administration?
3. When was the school last comprehensively rehabilitated?
4. What is the current government's assessment of the school's structural condition?
5. What amount has the Okpebholo administration allocated to the rehabilitation of public secondary schools in the state?
6. What is the actual revenue received by Edo State during the period covered by the ₦145 billion claim, and how much has been committed to education?
These are legitimate public-interest questions that should not be dismissed as political criticism.
Government must act before another generation loses out
The situation at Uokha Grammar School is a reminder that educational inequality is not merely about the availability of policies or the number of teachers trained. It is also about whether children in rural communities have safe classrooms, functional facilities, adequate furniture and an environment that supports learning.
For a community whose only secondary school is reportedly in this condition, the consequences could extend beyond damaged buildings. A poor learning environment threatens students' safety, undermines educational motivation and places additional pressure on families seeking better schooling opportunities for their children.
The Edo State Government should immediately commission an independent structural assessment of the school, publish its findings and provide a clear rehabilitation timetable.
The intervention should include the replacement of damaged roofing, reconstruction of compromised sections, renovation of classrooms, installation of functional doors and windows, provision of desks and learning materials, and improvement of sanitation facilities.
The Ministry of Education should also conduct a statewide assessment of rural public schools to identify similar cases requiring urgent attention.
Ultimately, the measure of an education administration is not the size of its loans, the number of policies announced or the statistics presented at public events. It is the quality of education and the learning environment available to ordinary children.
Uokha's children deserve the same dignity, protection and educational opportunities enjoyed by their counterparts in urban communities.
A government that prioritises education must demonstrate that commitment where it matters most: inside the classrooms.
Uokha Grammar School must not become another symbol of abandoned public infrastructure. Its children deserve action, not political explanations.