Enugu’s Smart Green Schools Promise a New Dawn Amid Uneven Readiness

Gov Peter Mbah of Enugu State embarked on the Smart Green School initiative to revolutionise primary and secondary education across the 260 political wards in the state. The schools will commence academic activities on 22nd September, 2025. This report by THE WHISTLER examines the ensuing academic disparities this initiative might throw up in the state’s new education policy following the non-completion of some of the smart schools.

Hon Hillary Onah is a stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party from Ogwu- Obollo, Udenu Local Government Area. Onah expresses happiness over the educational revolution of Gov Peter Mbah through the building of Smart Green Schools in the state. He, however, said that the September 22, 2025 commencement date of the schools might enthrone imbalance in the state education sector “because not all the smart schools would be ready”.

“The one being constructed in my ward is about 80 percent completed,” says Onah. “But I can’t see the possibility of any academic activities in it around the September 22 commencement date. What that implies is that children of my area would be short-changed by those whose smart schools have been completed. I appeal to the governor to hasten contractors handling the work to deliver these jobs as stipulated on the contract paper.”

Nduka Anike shares the same view as Onah. “The Smart Green School under construction in my community, Ugwuogo-Nike in Enugu East LGA, is at an advanced stage. The contractors have done great jobs. It is a sign of a better tomorrow in this state. Education is the key to societal development. Mbah is fundamentally revolutionising the education of the state.

“And you know, it begins from the fundamental levels. But I appeal for the postponement of the set date for resumption. This is to avoid disparities in the academic operations of the state primary/secondary education system. It will be a sign of non-level playing field for the children. It is good for all to be uniform.”

Paulinus Okwesili is a retired head headmaster based in Enugu. In his view, the resumption should be next year “because a majority of these schools are still far from completion”.

He said “apart from the one located at Owo in Nkanu East, I doubt if there is anyone that has been fully equipped to meet the promoted standards of the schools.” He advised the state not to be in a hurry “in order to give all the children a level playing field”.

Dr Nnamdi Ezeboye, an education administrator and consultant based in Enugu, however, shares a different opinion. He said there was nothing unusual if completed smart schools begin academic activities while the remaining ones are being worked on.

According to him, “The completed ones will then serve as a pilot scheme for others. There is no way all of them will start at once because they must have some intervening variables. There is also no undo denial because there are many ways to make up, including adjustments in schemes of work.

“Remember that all the schools in the state are guided by a common curriculum. So, the innovative aspects of the smart schools are an added advantage. They are peculiar to the state. Let’s not also forget that some of these new innovations are already operational in some private schools, and these public schools still effectively compete with them. So the standards are still there. The add-on is a new culture that the Mbah administration is bringing on board. The existing system has not collapsed.”

It was gathered that teachers in the state employment were ahead of the resumption trained on the new teaching demands of the Smart Green Schools. “We were trained and also examined ahead of time,” says Simeon Offorma, a teacher at Diogbe, Igbo-Etiti LGA. “Those that lag behind will be transferred to the non-academic sector; that’s what we were told,” Offorma added.

Recall that Gov Mbah had earlier this year, during his town hall meeting at the Banquet Hall of the Old Government Lodge, GRA, Enugu, stated that work was already at an advanced stage on the smart schools located in 160 wards. He assured that the construction of the remaining smart schools would begin.

According to him, “The smart schools will go beyond primary school education and over 12-year compulsory and free education to every child born in the state. Early life learning was included in the smart school initiative and with that, the children will be absorbed from nursery to primary schools.

” They will be exposed to a modern learning environment. This will see a transition from chalkboard to smart boards, and our pupils will no longer struggle with notebooks as they’ll be given notepads for their lesson notes. Our children are at the epicentre of our plans for the state. We expect that when you talk about an Enugu child, you are talking about a smart ICT child. We are also designing to factor our smart children into scholarship schemes.”

On how the corruption saga involving Sujimoto Construction Company would undermine the Smart Green Initiative in the state, the governor’s Special Adviser on New Media, Dr Reuben Onyishi, said it was taken care of ab initio.

Quoting Onyishi, “The government was prepared from the inception of the project. In the budget, provisions for contingencies were made. It is from there that funds were brought to continue the construction of those affected by this Sujimoto setback.

“We are hoping that most of the smart schools will be technically open for academic activities as scheduled. But remember that their opening involves many things, from the smart board, robotics lab, AI and so on.

“It takes about N1.2bn to set up one smart school. The state government is not relenting. This is a legacy project of Gov Peter Mbah. The vision is for the whole pupils to resume at the same time. Those left behind will not take time before they join the train. Work on the twenty-two did not stop. They are ongoing.”

Understanding Operations Of Smart Schools

Prof Ndubueze Mbah is the Education Commissioner, Enugu State. He explains that the initiative involves building 260 smart green schools which would accommodate Nursery 1-3, Primary 1-6, and Junior Secondary 1-3 across the state’s 260 political wards.

“In so doing,” states Mbah, “Enugu State will become the first state in Nigeria to achieve ‘disarticulation’ – that is, moving junior secondary 1-3 out of secondary schools and integrating them with pre-primary and primary grades to fulfil the Basic Education Reform Law in Nigeria.

“The schools will provide twelve years of complete basic education for every Enugu child for free! Each of our smart green schools will also ensure the concentration of high-value education resources in a singular campus in each political ward, ensuring equitable access for all children. When we establish a smart green school in a ward, we absorb the school children in the various schools in that ward into the smart green school and begin the process of changing their life trajectories. So, the schools are not taking over public schools.”