Prince Chilaka Questions Fate of Schools Jonathan Built for the North

EXCLUSIVE — Political analyst and social commentator, Prince Chilaka, has questioned the fate of the schools built by former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration across northern Nigeria, expressing concern that many of them may no longer be functional or properly maintained.

Speaking during a live program on VOP TV, Chilaka recalled that the former president’s administration invested heavily in educational infrastructure, particularly the establishment of Almajiri schools, aimed at integrating children from non-formal Islamic learning systems into mainstream education.

“Goodluck Jonathan built a lot of schools in the North — where are those schools today? It was these same people who said they don’t want Western education,” he said.

Chilaka lamented that despite the huge investment, most of the facilities have either been abandoned, underutilized, or converted for other purposes, defeating the purpose for which they were built.

He argued that the neglect of those schools reflects a deeper cultural and political resistance to Western-style education in some parts of the country — a problem that continues to affect Nigeria’s literacy and development levels.

“Education should be above politics and religion. If we continue to reject what can liberate us intellectually, then we are choosing ignorance over progress,” he warned.

Chilaka urged both the Federal Government and northern state authorities to revive and maintain the schools, ensuring they serve the purpose of educating children and reducing the number of out-of-school youth in the region.

“Those schools were built with public funds. It’s not just about Jonathan — it’s about the future of Nigeria’s children,” he added.

Observers note that Chilaka’s comments have reignited debate over the fate of Jonathan’s Almajiri education initiative, which was introduced to address illiteracy and youth vulnerability in northern Nigeria but has since suffered neglect under subsequent administrations.