Anambra Government Transfers Custody of Smart Schools to Communities, Emphasizes Protection

The Anambra State Government has called on communities hosting Smart Schools across the state to take full responsibility for protecting and maintaining the facilities, cautioning that negligence could affect the allocation of future government projects to such areas.

This message was delivered by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs. Chiamaka Nnake, during the formal signing of an operational agreement involving Smart School principals, Presidents-General of the benefiting communities, and the state government. She was represented at the event by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Budget and Economic Planning, Ambassador Uchenna Kanu.
According to the Commissioner, the handover agreement is designed to assess the commitment of host communities in preserving public investments within their localities. She encouraged community leaders to make use of the helpline included in the agreement document whenever challenges arise beyond their control and stressed that proper security and care of the facilities would position communities to attract additional government interventions.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Post Primary Schools Service Commission (PPSSC), Professor Nkechi Ikediugwu, expressed gratitude to Governor Chukwuma Soludo for delivering on his pledge to establish Smart Schools across the state. She described the initiative as a major innovation in the education sector, noting the substantial financial resources invested, and urged school administrators and community members to collaborate closely in safeguarding the schools.

In her appreciation speech, a student of Smart City Secondary School, Ogbunike, Miss Ijeoma Adibe, applauded the governor for introducing technology-driven learning environments. She noted that the Smart Schools have moved education beyond traditional teaching methods, giving students access to modern tools that broaden their knowledge and inspire greater ambitions. She assured the government that students would make the most of the opportunity.

The schools officially handed over to their host communities include Ide Secondary School, Enugwu-Ukwu; Igwebuike Grammar School, Awka; Community Secondary School, Amansea; Community Secondary School, Umunnachi; Flora Azikiwe Model Comprehensive Secondary School, Neni; Girls Secondary School, Igboukwu; Community Secondary School, Isuofia; Community High School, Nanka; and Community High School, Nawfija.

Others are Uga Boys Secondary School, Uga; Community Secondary School, Oraifite; Nnewi High School, Nnewi; Union Secondary School, Amichi; Gover Technical College, Ihiala; Cave City Secondary School, Ogbunike; Girls Secondary School, Ojoto; Union Secondary School, Obosi; Ado Girls Secondary School, Onitsha; Unity Comprehensive High School, Okpoko; and Urban Girls Secondary School, Onitsha.

Meanwhile, Smart Schools in Uga, Aguleri, Omoregie, Ihiala, and Nnewi High are yet to be formally handed over.