Abia Commissions Second Smart School, Expands Technology-Driven Learning Across State.

Abia Commissions Second Smart School, Expands Technology-Driven Learning Across State.

The Abia State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to revolutionising basic education with the commissioning of another Smart School at Umuomaiukwu Community Primary School, Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area.

The project forms part of Governor Alex Otti’s plan to establish 20 Smart Schools across the state, comprising three mega schools and 17 Smart Schools, aimed at transforming public education through modern technology and digital learning.

Speaking with journalists shortly after the commissioning, the Managing Director of Blue Giraffe, the construction firm handling the Smart School projects, Mrs.Orieji Okwara Emele, said the newly commissioned facility is the fourth Smart School completed by the company.

She explained that Blue Giraffe was responsible for building and equipping the school, adding that the company also contributed through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to support quality education in the state.

Mrs. Okwara Emele disclosed that the school was designed to accommodate about 390 pupils and is equipped with modern learning facilities, including interactive smart boards, artificial intelligence-enabled learning tools, tablets and other digital teaching resources.

According to her, teachers assigned to the Smart Schools have undergone intensive training since last year and continue to receive refresher courses to enable them effectively deliver technology-driven education.

She noted that additional Smart Schools are under construction in Umuahia-Ibeku, Bende and other parts of the state, while another project at Umuagbai is expected to be completed within the next few weeks.

The Blue Giraffe MD commended Governor Alex Otti for prioritising education, noting that the administration’s decision to allocate about 20 per cent of the state budget to education demonstrates its commitment to human capital development.

She also acknowledged the role played by Equipment Hall, the company that introduced the Smart School concept in Abia through the pilot project in Ofali Agwu, Ohafia, saying the initiative inspired the state government’s decision to replicate the model across Abia.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Blue Giraffe, Rear Admiral Harry Ngalani (Rtd.), described the Smart School initiative as an educational revolution

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He recalled that the company’s first Smart School project in Ofali Agwu was executed free of charge, after which Governor Otti visited the facility and resolved to replicate the model statewide.

Ngalani said Blue Giraffe remains committed to maintaining high standards in all its projects, assuring that future Smart Schools in Umuahia, Aba and other locations would feature further improvements.

He urged communities to ensure proper maintenance of the facilities to sustain the gains of the Governor’s investment in education.

In her remarks, the Executive Chairman of the Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), Mrs. Lydia Onuoha, described the commissioning as another milestone in the state’s educational transformation agenda.

She said the Smart School would expose pupils to modern digital learning, enabling them to confidently use tablets, interactive smart boards and other technological tools required for global competitiveness.

Onuoha disclosed that the Smart School model would be replicated across all 17 local government areas of the state as the government gradually transitions from the traditional chalkboard system to technology-driven classrooms.

She further assured that special facilities such as the girls’ room, already introduced in the Smart Schools, would also be replicated in subsequent projects as government continues to scale up the initiative across Abia.

She expressed optimism that the Smart School programme would produce technologically equipped learners capable of competing favourably with their counterparts anywhere in the world.