Enugu State has launched a major education reform with the official transition from traditional primary and junior secondary schools to Smart Green Schools, Governor Peter Mbah announced on Monday.
In a state broadcast to mark the rollout, Mbah described the initiative as a shift from rote learning to modern, experiential education designed to equip Enugu children with the skills needed to compete globally.
“Our sovereignty begins in the classroom,” the governor said. “Smart Green Schools are not just an investment in classrooms, but in the soul of our people. A generation raised in schools of innovation will build an economy of innovation.”
Each of the 260 new schools will feature digitally connected classrooms, ICT centres, robotics and AI labs, e-libraries, smart farms, renewable energy sources, and medical clinics. Pupils will receive free uniforms, books, meals, and tablets, while teachers will be housed within school communities to ensure continuity and commitment.
Mbah acknowledged that construction setbacks meant some schools would open later than others, but assured that all would be operational within the current term. “We do not claim perfection. What we do claim is resolve,” he said.
He urged communities to protect and support the schools, emphasizing the role of teachers as the “cornerstone of this transformation.” He added that the state’s allocation of 33 per cent of its budget to education underscored his administration’s commitment.
The governor described the Smart Green Schools as the most transformative project of his tenure, calling them “a covenant with the Enugu child” and the true expression of his administration’s slogan, Tomorrow is Here.
