Japan to build 225-classroom blocks in Oyo

THE Federal Government has entered into an agreement with the Japanese government, under its Grand Aid Assistance to the African continent, through the Japanese International Cooperation System (JICA), for the construction of 30 primary schools comprising 225 classroom blocks in Oyo State.
 
Project Manager of JIGA, Mr. Kazunori Ogaguchi, who stated this while addressing journalists shortly after the tenders’ opening of the project Tuesday in Abuja, said that about $8.5m was been budgeted for the project.
 
Ogaguchi, who spoke at the Headquarters of the Universal Basic Education (UBEC) said the evaluation committee would conduct a detailed evaluation of the project over “the next several days, and tenderers, whose tenders were incomplete, conditional, illegible, or unclear or contained irregularities of any kind may be rejected. We may contact the prioritised tenderer for clarification, if necessary.
 
He explained that the Japanese government has been making effort towards ensuring that access to primary education for all primary school-aged children, especially the girl-child, was achieved in the country.
 
Speaking further, Ogaguchi stated that the Japanese government had handed over to the Federal Government, 33 schools comprising 77 buildings and 317 classrooms for basic education sited in Kano State, in fulfilling its bilateral agreement with its Nigerian counterpart.
 
He said the 225 classroom blocks would be completed within 12 months, adding that the classrooms would also be equipped with teachers’ and students’ furniture, in addition to toilet facilities, which according to him would be of good standard and quality.
 
Project Coordinator, International Development Partner Project, UBEC, Iro Umar, in his remarks stated that the project would go a long way in addressing the challenge of out-of-school children in the country.
 
“It is to everyone’s knowledge that the major problem of basic education in Nigeria is access; getting all children to school, providing classrooms and other facilities,” he stated.