Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara has commissioned a remodelled Government Girls Arabic School, GGAS, in Gusau.
Speaking during the commissioning of the project, Mr Lawal tasked the state government institutions on the maintenance of public infrastructure and assets.
A statement issued by his media aide, Sulaiman Idris, said key structures identified and renovated in the school included two administration blocks, four blocks of eight classrooms, eight offices, a students’ kitchen, 20 Racca classrooms, a dining area, and a school orchard.
The statement added that the remodelled structures include laboratories, ICT center, stores, library, mosque, 14 student toilets, four staff toilets, four-story student buildings, a matron house, a hostel gate, and a security gate.
Mr Lawal reiterated that the renovation of schools is a testament to the successes achieved in pursuing his administration’s declaration of a state of emergency in education.
He said: “As we are aware, this school is one of the oldest schools in this part of the country, where learners are trained to become teachers.
“Today, we have remodelled it to become a comprehensive secondary school offering science, arts, ICT, and commercial subjects.
“Due to the dilapidated nature of the environment and the fire incident that damaged some parts of the students’ hostels, the objective of establishing the school was not being achieved.
“As such, in pursuit of the mission of our administration to improve the standard of education at all levels, we deemed it necessary to renovate and transform the school to make it serve its primary purpose.
“The contract was initially awarded in January 2024 to an indigenous company for renovating five blocks of students’ hostels that were completely burnt down due to a fire incident.
“After rebuilding the five burnt hostels completely, we determined the need to renovate the school, and the contract was extended to cover all other structures.
“Furthermore, the renovation was carried out within a contract of 13 months, with all the mechanical and electrical services throughout the school.
“Both phases 1 and 2 of the contracts are 100% complete. These constitute 94 different structures executed satisfactorily following the contract agreement and specifications.”
Mr Lawal also said that the renovated school and ongoing renovations at various boarding schools throughout the state reflect his commitment to restoring the educational institutions.
