SPECIAL REPORT: Poor infrastructure, long distance hinder schooling in Abuja community

At the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School, Dagiri, a community in the university town of Gwagwalada on the outskirts of Abuja, pupils sit on wooden chairs inside a classroom. When the pupils look up, they see that parts of the inner ceiling of their classroom have fallen off, and the rest hang loosely, threatening to collapse. It is not the school environment you expect to find in one of the six area councils of the Nigerian capital.

However, the damaged ceiling is arguably one of the Abuja school’s smallest problems. The school has no toilet, so the pupils use the open ground behind the classroom blocks when nature calls, putting the health of pupils and staff at risk. Also, because they also have no functional playground, they have adapted to kicking about sand, laughing, and running around an open space in the schoolyard during break.

The school also lacks a sickbay or library, and the computer laboratory, meant to introduce the pupils to digital learning, is inadequately equipped.

Research shows that missing or non-functional facilities affect quality education. According to UNESCO, the physical school environment, including health services, libraries, and access to technology, plays a vital role in shaping student outcomes. It is the bedrock of an inclusive and effective learning experience.

Infrastructures

The Dagiri school is one of hundreds of primary and secondary schools across Nigeria with dilapidated or inadequate infrastructure. Many of such schools also lack internet access.

UNESCO’s 2023 Global Education Monitoring(GEM) Report highlights that only 40 per cent of primary, 50 per cent of lower secondary, and 65 per cent of upper secondary schools globally have internet access for educational purposes, revealing stark inequities in digital infrastructure. UNESCO further notes that digital tools serve as key inputs for learning and planning and that their presence significantly impacts students’ performance, especially in under-resourced settings.

School health services are equally critical. A joint global report by UNESCO and partners shows that school health and nutrition programmes improve enrolment and attendance increase by as much as eight to nine per cent when meals are provided. There is currently no school feeding programme for children in Nigerian public schools, although the government has pledged to restart the programme it suspended about two years ago.

In areas plagued by malnutrition and parasites, interventions like deworming can add up to 2.5 years of schooling.

Also, libraries, though often overlooked, are essential hubs for literacy development and independent thinking. They provide a quiet, resource-rich space where students can cultivate research skills, deepen their understanding of subjects, and develop a lifelong love for reading.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 4, call for the provision of safe, inclusive, and effective learning environments, including access to electricity, computers, the internet, libraries, water, and sanitation.

Overall, the state of many of Nigeria’s public schools reflects the country’s failure to meet global standards for basic educational infrastructure.

Visiting the School

When PREMIUM TIMES visited the Dagiri school in March, an uncompleted structure stood out behind the classrooms. Grass had begun to grow inside the plastered and partly roofed building, and parts of the roof’s wooden framework had collapsed.

“That building has been there for four years now,” the head teacher, Abubakar Sadiq, said. “I reported to my head office late last year that there is an abandoned building on the premises. They asked me to do a video and take a picture, which I did. They also came for inspection themselves, but nothing has been done till now,” Mr Sadiq explained.

PREMIUM TIMES also observed that the computer laboratory was too small for a full class of pupils and poorly equipped to serve their needs. The laboratory’s head, Halima Ibrahim, described how the inadequacies had contributed to the challenges of digital learning in the school.

She said that because the computers were insufficient, students had to work in groups and take turns just so each could “have a feel of it.” She added that the few available systems were ageing and unreliable. Many no longer retain battery power, making them unusable.

“Having a computer lab is very important for children; they are always happy to come here because of their curiosity,” she said.

According to the headteacher, the school has over 1,800 pupils — including 711 boys and 806 girls in the primary section, and 133 boys and 154 girls in the nursery.

Infrastructure, Psychological Impact, and Educational Access

In many parts of Nigeria, children are learning in classrooms that fail every standard of safety and functionality.

The consequences are not only visible in poor academic outcomes but also in deeper psychological harm and long-term systemic setbacks.

Hassan Soweto, the national coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), highlighted the critical role of infrastructure in shaping educational outcomes.

He said quality physical and teaching infrastructures, a conducive environment, an up-to-date curriculum, and a highly motivated teaching and non-teaching staff are essential for a successful education system.

He warned that the absence of these elements can lead to “unsatisfactory educational outcomes” and even “permanently damage” students’ prospects.

This perspective aligns with a 2024 study in Gombe State, which found that poor infrastructure negatively impacts productivity, learner interest, and overall academic outcomes.

Mr Soweto emphasised the psychological toll of substandard learning environments, noting that students exposed to unsafe or dilapidated schools may develop a lasting aversion to education.

These concerns are echoed in a 2025 World Bank report, which notes that Nigeria spends only about $23 per capita on basic education, one of the lowest rates globally.

This chronic underinvestment results in severe shortages of classrooms, sanitation, and essential teaching materials.

The report revealed that only 27 per cent of Nigerian children aged seven to 14 demonstrate foundational reading skills, and just 25 per cent possess foundational numeracy skills.

It also highlighted institutional inefficiencies, with the Universal Basic Education Intervention Fund (UBEIF), intended to support subnational investments, plagued by poor governance, inequitable allocations, and overly complex procedures.

These bottlenecks deepen disparities in education access and quality, particularly in communities like Dagiri.

Financial barriers compound challenges

Safiya Alhassan, a Dagiri resident, told PREMIUM TIMES that her third child, Abudulwassiu Alhassan, could not resume senior secondary school after the previous academic session due to financial difficulties.

“My husband is unemployed; he just does anything he sees. And even now, he is not around. The school said it would cost N43,000 just to enroll Abdulwasiu. It is not easy for me”.

For the boy, the emotional toll has been difficult to bear. “I am not happy seeing my mates going to school while I am at home,” he said.

Millions of Nigerian kids face financial obstacles to their education. In a country where over 100 million people are multidimensionally poor, the cost of education, even in public schools that should be free, is a formidable barrier. From levies to books, uniforms, and exam fees, hidden expenses often derail a child’s educational journey.

Mr Soweto argues that economic pressures force parents to make painful decisions, often prioritising immediate survival over long-term educational investments.

He warns that this trend risks creating a generation ill-equipped for the demands of a modern, AI-driven world.

He advocates for increased public funding and the provision of free education at all levels and warned that without addressing issues of access and affordability, the goal of universal education remains unattainable.

Funding for the Dagiri primary school and other public primary schools in the six area councils of Abuja is inadequate.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the schools’ teachers were on strike for three months due to poor remuneration and the area council management’s failure to implement the N70,000 minimum wage for the teachers. The strike was only suspended earlier this month following the intervention of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

However, schools in Abuja are not the only ones underfunded. In the 2025 fiscal year, the Nigerian government allocated N3.52 trillion to education, approximately 7.3 per cent of the total national budget. While this marks an increase compared to previous years, it still falls short of the 15–20 per cent benchmark for education spending recommended by UNESCO and supported by the World Bank.

Sub-Saharan African countries, including Nigeria, spend an average of $54 per student annually, compared to $8,500 in high-income nations.

Long distance and unsafe route

It was a difficult Friday for Ramatu Saidu, a junior student at Gwagwalada Junior Secondary School. That afternoon, she became unwell after walking to her home in Dagiri from school. According to Ramatu, it takes her nearly an hour to trek the approximately 7km distance between her home and school, and the trip places considerable strain on her health. Ramatu, who lives with sickle cell anaemia, said she could not attend school for some days after the experience. Since then, her family gives her money for transport every day she goes to school.

“That day, I didn’t take a bike; I trekked. I passed the flyover, and by the time I got home, my whole body was aching. My legs were aching. I felt like I could just die,” Ramatu recalled.

Ramatu’s elder sister, Fatima, told PREMIUM TIMES that the distance is a problem for the family.

“If you do not have N800 or N700 for transportation, you have to trek to school. It is not easy for them, especially my little sister. She is a sickle cell patient, so her own issue is a very critical one.”

Another parent, Salihu Saidu, said the children also face physical danger on the road to school.

“My heart always beats faster when it’s time for them to return. That road is a highway. It is dangerous. When your child does not return home in time, you will be scared,” he explained.

PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter took a motorcycle ride from Dagiri to the nearest secondary school.

She observed that the route cuts across a busy expressway frequently plied by speeding trailers and heavy-duty vehicles. Although there is a pedestrian bridge directly in front of the school, many students prefer to cross the dangerous road.

The senior secondary school is visible from the expressway, while the junior secondary school is located deeper in a more isolated area and is not easily accessible on foot, unless in the company of friends to ease the long and tiring trek. For a child, walking that distance alone is a gruelling task.

A 2022 UNESCO report on out-of-school children found long or unsafe journeys to school significantly reduce attendance rates, particularly for girls, children with disabilities, and those in poor rural communities. The report emphasised that when schools are not within a reasonable walking distance, dropout rates increase sharply.

 

 

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Similarly, a 2023 UNICEF Nigeria Education Fact Sheet identified long commutes, insecurity, and transport costs as key drivers of school absenteeism and learning poverty across Nigeria’s underserved communities.

Studies have shown that children who walk more than three to five kilometres to school are more likely to be physically exhausted, late to class, and perform worse academically. Ramatu and thousands of children like her in rural Nigeria walk for seven kilometres or more. In extreme cases, the journey itself becomes a reason children stay away from school altogether.

In rural and peri-urban areas like Dagiri, where public transport costs are high and many households live below the poverty line, such factors combine to make education more expensive for those who can least afford it.