48,000 Nigerian public schools lack electricity

Researches have shown that about 65 per cent of the 74,280 public primary and junior secondary schools in Nigeria, amounting to about 48,000 lack electricity, and as a result cannot guarantee technology-based education.

This was as the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has revealed that accounts of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in about five states have been suspended due to various reasons including diversion of resources, among others.

These facts were disclosed Tursday at the 9th edition of the annual Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture series which held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Dua Centre at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Organised by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), the lecture was part of the activities marking the birthday celebration of the Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, who clocked 83 on Thursday.

Themed, “Light up, Light in: Interrogating the Nexus between Electricity and Basic Education in Nigeria,” stakeholders in attendance including the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi; former Minister of Education, Dr. Obiageli Ezikwesili, among others, emphasised the importance of electricity to quality education delivery.

Speaking Thursday at the event the United Nations Resident Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon, said energy crisis in Africa has, and will continue to be a tragedy to the continent of Africa, saying out of the 1.5 billion people who lack access to electricity globally, 57 per cent, amounting to 622.6 million are in Africa.

He said: “But the facts have shown that students who have access to electricity have been confirmed to perform better because they have access to modern facilities.”

He said Nigeria needs, at least for now, about 11,000 megawatts of electricity to serve the nation’s needs.