Enugu State Commissioner for Education Prof. Ndubueze Mbah has disclosed that the state’s Smart Green School initiative is attracting impressive support from international development agencies, donor organisations, and Nigerian diaspora communities. He stated that the programme is widely supported and locally embraced in the state.
Mbah, who spoke recently in Lagos, said that the Enugu Smart Green Schools are not merely physical structures but hubs of integrated learning, community empowerment, and sustainable development.
“We are supported by prestigious grants and leading education sector partner. UNICEF, UNESCO, the World Bank, the Federal Ministry of Education, the Universal Basic Education Commission, and numerous international foundations are all backing this effort. Our people in the diaspora are also lending their support. It’s not just a government project—it’s a movement.”
The initiative, introduced under the administration of Governor Peter Mbah, has taken root across all 260 political wards in the state, transforming the educational and social landscape of rural and urban communities alike.
The commissioner who is a Professor of History at the State University of New York, Buffalo, noted that virtually every ward in Enugu now has a Smart Green School, with only a few exceptions in single-village wards still under review.
He described the public reception as overwhelming, adding that communities have embraced the schools as a generational opportunity for transformation.
“People see this as the most important project of their lifetime,” he stated, adding: “Everywhere a Smart School is built, life changes. The community changes. Hope returns.”
Each Smart Green School is designed to accommodate between 840 and 1,000 pupils and is operated by a cohort of 40 to 50 specially trained Smart Teachers.
Unlike traditional public schools, these institutions are designed to be fully self-sustaining.
The schools are solar-powered, internet-enabled, and supported by an eco-friendly infrastructure that includes water systems, modern sanitary facilities, agricultural plots, and digital teaching tools.
A standout feature of the Smart Schools is the comprehensive welfare model it offers. Every school includes on-site residential apartments for teachers, creating a built-in incentive for high-calibre professionals to work in remote communities.
In addition, every Smart School has a functional health clinic staffed with two registered nurses, ensuring that pupils and staff have immediate access to basic healthcare.
According to him, the schools also integrate a farm-to-table model as part of both the learning experience and the school feeding programme.
“Every one of these schools has a farm, and the children are fed daily from the produce of that farm, subsidised by the state government,” Mbah explained.
He added: “That means nearly 1,000 children in each school eat lunch every day. It’s not just about nutrition; it’s part of the education. They learn agriculture, sustainability, and responsibility.”
BY Janefrances Chibuzor @THENATION
