The Plateau government has awarded contracts for the construction of 55 new secondary schools across the state.
The governor, Caleb Mutfwang, who signed the contract documents on Wednesday, in Jos, said the construction project is part of the state’s commitment to overhauling and improving its education sector.
He said the projects would be implemented in conjunction with the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), funded by the World Bank.
Mutfwang said the projects were designed to empower the girl child, pointing out that the education of women is key to the development of the state.
“These projects, involving the construction of 35 Junior and 20 senior secondary schools, are being implemented under the AGILE project funded by the World Bank,” he said.
“They are a crucial investment in improving the learning environment for our children in the state.
“We will ensure that they meet the highest standards; our supervising mechanisms will be top-notch because we want to set a precedent with this initiative.
“We will do this so that when the World Bank team comes for evaluation, we will not be found wanting.”
Mutfwang said the school construction projects would be funded through loans.
He urged the contractors to strictly adhere to set specifications and warned that anyone found not doing what was expected of him would be sanctioned.
Commissioner for secondary education in the state, Mohammed Nyalun, said the World Bank and the federal government have consistently supported the education sector.
He said the initiative is crucial to ensuring that every child in the state accesses quality education via a conducive learning environment.
