From Moshood Karim
The dream of a world-class, ICT-driven model school for children in Edo South has collapsed into a national embarrassment, as Senator Neda Imasuen on Wednesday uncovered an abandoned Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) project in Abudu, Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State.
The school, originally designed to serve as a hub of modern learning for nursery to junior secondary pupils, now lies derelict, swallowed by weeds, neglect and official indifference. What was meant to be a beacon of opportunity for Edo’s children has instead become a grim symbol of Nigeria’s chronic culture of abandoned projects.
Visibly disturbed during his oversight visit, Senator Imasuen lamented the abandonment, warning that the failure to deliver such critical infrastructure was a betrayal of the future of Nigerian children. “This initiative was meant to empower our children through quality, ICT-driven education. Allowing it to rot is unacceptable,” he said.
The Edo South lawmaker, who chairs the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, vowed to hold those responsible to account. He pledged to immediately engage UBEC, Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and relevant stakeholders to revive the project and ensure it serves its original purpose.
The abandoned facility reflects a familiar pattern across Nigeria where multimillion-naira projects are launched with fanfare, only to be left incomplete and forgotten once political attention shifts.
In a recent audit of 1,404 public projects across 25 States, 129 (9 per cent) were either abandoned or fraudulently executed, despite contractors being paid.
Similarly, BudgIT’s Tracka platform recently exposed that 129 projects were left uncompleted even though payments had been made.
Within the education sector itself, UBEC admits that many projects are stalled or abandoned. In its 2020 annual report, the agency acknowledged “abandoned projects,” “slow utilization of intervention funds,” and political unwillingness by some states to even access matching grants.
As of mid-2025, UBEC says over ₦250 billion in intervention funds remain unutilised across States, funds that should have built classrooms, provided learning tools, and improved teacher training.
Indeed, UBEC has criticised States for leaving those grants dormant, despite growing infrastructure needs and a deficit in educational delivery.
Education experts have repeatedly warned that such failures cripple Nigeria’s ability to achieve global competitiveness, particularly in science and technology.
For communities in Orhionmwon, the school’s abandonment has dashed hopes of accessible, modern learning for children in a region already plagued by poor educational infrastructure. Parents in the area expressed anger that yet another government promise has been reduced to ruins.
As Nigeria marks 65 years of independence, the State of the UBEC South-South Zonal Model School stands as a damning reminder of the widening gap between lofty government pledges and the harsh reality on the ground.
Senator Imasuen’s intervention may rekindle hope, but until action replaces rhetoric, the site remains a monument to neglect and a stark indictment of the nation’s priorities.
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