Nigeria-Korea Model School Handover Ceremony

The FCT Administration have called on Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) to ensure that Nigeria/Korea Model School remains a model school and a standard on which other public institutions in the FCT will be measured.  The Administration noted that the Nigeria/Korea Model school is today one of the most sought-after basic education institutions in the FCT, hence the need for UBEB to manage it effectively and efficiently.  This call was made yesterday at the formal handover and takeover of the 15 million dollar Nigeria-Korea Model School Project at it’s premises located in Piwoyi community, in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

According to the FCT Minister of state, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, the hand over of the school to the FCTA brought to end a process that commenced four years ago.  Aliyu who represented the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, explained that with a literacy level that is almost 100%, the school has one of the best Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and internet penetration, strong social institutions and a robust economy. “The building of the school was a process that not only saw the establishment of a great educational institution in Nigeria’s Federal Capital City (FCC), but also the deepening of a very cordial relationship between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of Korea.

“As we are no doubt aware, education is the bedrock of modern societies and the foundation on which great nations are built.

“That is why we wholeheartedly embraced this project from inception to completion and commissioning last year by the representative of Mr President.

“Here in the FCT, we have long recognised the capacity of education as providing the most viable route towards the attainment of our nation’s growth objectives. Therefore, the development of the education sector will be given priority in our growth agenda.

“This will involve establishment of new schools, rehabilitation of existing ones, recruitment of teaching staff and of course the training and retaining teachers to keep them abreast of current teaching methods.

“We promise to expedite construction of the senior secondary component of the school and ensure that it is as aesthetically appealing and academically enriching as its model basic education counterpart,” the Minister stressed.  While pledging the commitment of the FCT Administration towards ensuring its sustainability, the Minister expressed the profound appreciation of the FCT Administration to the Government and people of the Republic of Korea, the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for bringing this project to fruition.

Earlier in his remarks, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Maj.-Gen. In-Tae Lee, opined that the Nigeria-Korea model school was the centre of excellence for multimedia education, saying that in the future the school could be use as a teachers training centre for multimedia education in FCT. Lee said: “The multimedia equipment supplied is worth more than 1.3 US dollars and maintenance is essential to ensure the best use of these facilities.”

He assured that Korea would not hesitate to continue sharing experiences and assisting Nigeria in strengthening the educational sector and national capacity.