Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Federal Government has handed over the rehabilitated and modernised Government Science Secondary School, Koton-Karfe, in Kogi State, following a N1.48 billion intervention facilitated by Senator Sunday Karimi, representing Kogi West Senatorial District. The project, executed through the National Senior Secondary Education Commission, is one of 50 senior secondary schools selected nationwide for upgrade under President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda.
Commissioning the project on Friday, the Executive Secretary of NSSEC, Dr. Iyela Ajayi, said the initiative reflects the government's commitment to providing safe and modern learning environments for Nigerian children. Ajayi, who was represented by the commission's Director of Human Resources, Mr. Olugbenga Adelogun, stressed that a school cannot deliver quality education without a safe and supportive environment. "This is an investment in our children and their future," he said. He commended Senator Karimi for complementing government efforts in the education sector, noting that the intervention demonstrated the role elected representatives can play in supplementing federal initiatives.
Senator Karimi, who was represented at the ceremony by retired Navy Commodore Folusho Daniel, said the Koton-Karfe project formed part of broader interventions he has facilitated across Kogi West in education, water supply, electricity and solar power. He disclosed that he personally funded the rehabilitation of Titcombe College, Egbe, at a cost of N350 million, and that he had concluded plans to build Computer-Based Test centres in Lokoja, Kabba, Mopa and Isanlu to ease access to the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination for candidates in the senatorial district. Karimi also commended President Tinubu for providing an enabling environment for education to thrive, and urged students to make effective use of the facilities while calling on the community to protect and maintain them for future generations.
The scope of the upgrade is substantial. According to the Supervising Consultant and Acting Head of the Physical Planning and Development Department at NSSEC, Mr. Emmanuel Egamana, the project was executed in 24 weeks by Messrs First Man Industry Link Limited. It comprises an administrative block with seven offices and capacity for 16 staff, including offices for the principal, vice-principals, senior master and records and archives. The classroom block consists of six classrooms with seating capacity for 46 students each, alongside staff rooms and other facilities. The laboratory and ICT building houses four science laboratories and four ICT laboratories, each accommodating 48 students, all fully equipped and furnished with laboratory equipment. Other components include a three-unit inverter system, solar-powered street lights, a borehole and an overhead water tank, providing the institution with improved power and water infrastructure.
The handing over ceremony drew a cross-section of stakeholders. The Chairman of the Kogi State Senior Secondary Education Board, Mrs. Habiba Suleiman, commended the Federal Government for executing the project in Kogi and appealed for more such interventions across the state. She described the upgrade as a welcome development that would strengthen science and technology education in the district.
The school's Principal, Mr. Inusa Dauda, pledged the commitment of the school management to ensure effective utilisation of the facilities to improve teaching and learning. He, however, appealed to the federal and Kogi State governments to provide perimeter fencing for the school to address insecurity and theft. Dauda said the school environment remained porous, adding that the only security guard currently deployed to the school could not adequately handle its security challenges. "It becomes pertinent for the state stakeholders of this school to put hands on deck to provide the necessary machinery for the utilisation, maintenance, and safety of the properties," he said. He also appealed for more security personnel and teachers to strengthen the school's capacity to provide quality education.
The Ohimege Igu of Koton-Karfe, His Royal Majesty Dr. Saidu Akawu Salihu, was represented at the event. Residents of the community described the project as a timely milestone for science education in the district, noting that it would create a more conducive environment for students and teachers.
The Koton-Karfe project is part of a wider federal effort to reform senior secondary education in Nigeria. NSSEC has been implementing interventions across the country's six geopolitical zones, focusing on infrastructure, teacher development, digital learning, science and technology, and campus safety. The commission has said it will continue to work with state governments, education authorities, development partners, communities and other stakeholders to strengthen senior secondary education. Ajayi said the federal government remained committed to improving senior secondary education through interventions in these areas, and that the commission would sustain its collaboration with relevant partners to achieve the objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
For Kogi West, the project represents the latest in a series of interventions facilitated by Senator Karimi. Beyond the N1.48 billion science school and the N350 million Titcombe College rehabilitation, the senator has facilitated projects in water supply, electricity and solar infrastructure across the district. The planned CBT centres in Lokoja, Kabba, Mopa and Isanlu are expected to address a persistent challenge for students in the area, many of whom travel long distances to sit for computer-based examinations. In September 2025, the paramount ruler of Kotonkarfe, the Ohimege Igu kingdom, had lauded Karimi for the construction of N1.3 billion classroom blocks and laboratories at the same school, underscoring the sustained nature of his involvement in the institution's development.
The commissioning comes amid a broader national conversation about the state of secondary education in Nigeria. The Federal Government has identified senior secondary schools as a critical link in the education chain, bridging basic education and tertiary institutions. The rehabilitation of Government Science Secondary School, Koton-Karfe, is intended not only to improve the physical learning environment but also to strengthen the pipeline of students pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. For the students of Koton-Karfe, the new laboratories, ICT facilities, solar power and borehole represent a tangible improvement in their learning conditions. For the community, the project is a reminder of what effective constituency representation can deliver. And for the Federal Government, it is one of 50 interventions that will be judged by whether the facilities are maintained, utilised and sustained long after the commissioning ceremony has ended.
As the school prepares to resume academic activities in its upgraded facilities, the appeals from the principal for perimeter fencing and additional security personnel remain outstanding. The Federal Government and the Kogi State Government have yet to respond publicly to those requests. Whether the school receives the support it needs to protect the investment will determine whether the N1.48 billion outlay delivers its full intended impact.
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