NEWS
Abia State Government Defends Smart School Initiative, Clarifies Misconceptions Over Ogbo Central Smart School
The Abia State Government has defended its Smart School Initiative, providing detailed clarification on the recently commissioned Ogbo Central Smart School amid growing public misconceptions about the project.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, made the clarification on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti.
Addressing concerns surrounding the project, Kanu explained that the Ogbo Central Smart School is the flagship project under the Abia State Government’s Smart School Initiative and represents the transformation of a public primary school into a modern, technology-enabled learning facility designed to meet global educational standards.
He disclosed that the school currently accommodates about 390 pupils and is equipped with modern classrooms, a fully functional Information and Communication Technology (ICT) laboratory, a library, a teachers’ resource centre and administrative offices, all designed to create an enabling environment for quality teaching and learning.
Highlighting one of the school’s unique features, Kanu said every pupil enrolled in the institution has access to a personal digital learning device.
“A special feature is the fact that all the pupils, from Primary One to Primary Six, have their individual tablets, which they will use all through their stay in the school. That is a very key and important aspect,” Prince Kanu revealed.
The Commissioner further explained that the Smart School operates with advanced smart infrastructure, learning management systems and school management software.
According to him, the facility is powered by an off-grid solar energy system and also features energy-efficient lighting and modern water management facilities, ensuring uninterrupted learning and sustainable operations.
The commissioner added that the school has been designed with comprehensive safety and accessibility measures, including fire safety systems, disability-friendly infrastructure, a fully equipped sick bay and an extensive security architecture to safeguard pupils, teachers and school property.
Providing further clarification, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Basic Education, Mr. Kenechukwu Nwosu, stressed that education in all Abia Smart Schools is completely free of charge.
He dismissed speculations suggesting that facilities had been removed from the Smart School located at School Road Primary School, explaining that the reports were misleading.
According to Nwosu, the facility is currently undergoing a major redesign and expansion, with its capacity being increased from the initial 300 pupils to 1,000 pupils in response to rising enrolment and increasing demand from parents seeking admission for their children.
He explained that Smart Boards and other learning facilities were only temporarily dismantled to facilitate ongoing construction and would be reinstalled immediately after the expansion works are completed.
Nwosu also disclosed that several other Smart Schools across Abia State are at advanced stages of completion and are expected to be commissioned before the commencement of the new academic session in September.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, dismissed allegations that admission into the state’s Smart Schools favoured children of government officials and wealthy families, describing the claims as entirely false.
Ekeoma maintained that the present administration has consistently demonstrated its commitment to transparency, fairness and meritocracy in the education sector.
He cited the abolition of practices such as the “Governor’s List” and the “Government House List” in admissions into tertiary institutions as clear evidence of Governor Alex Otti’s determination to restore integrity, equal opportunity and public confidence in
the state’s education system.