By Khalid Idris Doya The Minister of State for Regional Development, Alhaji Uba Maigari Ahmadu, on Thursday formally handed over a newly ...
By Khalid Idris Doya
The Minister of State for Regional Development, Alhaji Uba Maigari Ahmadu, on Thursday formally handed over a newly Mega School in Dungal, Bauchi State constructed North East Development Commission (NEDC) to the Bauchi State government as part of efforts to strengthen educational development in the state.
The Minister also handed over a newly constructed and fully equipped Triage Medical Emergency Complex at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, to the state government.
The NEDC Mega School, located in Dungal, Bauchi Local Government Area, within the Bauchi South Senatorial District, comprises four blocks of 12 classrooms each (48 classrooms), four units of 2-bedroom staff quarters, an administrative block with 5 offices, a commercial centre, as well as perimeter fencing and a gatehouse.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Alhaji Uba Maigari Ahmadu described the project as a product of collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Regional Development, established by President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on October 24, 2024, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, and the North East Development Commission (NEDC).
He explained that while the Ministry and the NEDC have implemented several education-focused interventions aimed at rehabilitating dilapidated schools across the region, the Dungal Mega School is distinct as it was constructed entirely from scratch.
The Minister expressed confidence that the Bauchi State Government would ensure effective management and optimal use of the facility.
Commissioning the school on behalf of Governor Bala Mohammed, the Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Muhammad Auwal Jatau, prayed that the school would serve as a centre of educational excellence and holistic development, not only for Bauchi State but for the entire North-East geopolitical zone and Nigeria at large.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of the NEDC, Alhaji Mohammed G. Alkali, disclosed that the Dungal Mega School would be fully furnished within the next two months, marking the final phase of the project.
He further revealed that the Dungal Mega School is one of three similar projects in Bauchi State, while 5 other North-East states are benefiting from the initiative.
"In total, the Commission is constructing 18 identical mega schools across the North-East, one in each senatorial district. Each state has three mega schools, some already completed, others at various stages of completion," Alkali said.
According to him, the intervention is aimed at addressing the growing challenge of out-of-school children in the region. "Without adequate school infrastructure, you cannot effectively tackle the out-of-school syndrome. There must be a place to take these children to, and that is exactly what we are doing in Bauchi and across the North-East," he stressed.
Also, the Minister handed over the Triage Medical Emergency Complex at ATBUTH, Bauchi which includes a 20-bed triage hall, a four-bed resuscitation room, male and female wards with 20-bed capacity, a nursing station, laboratories, male and female isolation rooms with six-bed capacity, and three office units.
While handing over the health facility, Alhaji Ahmadu noted that although the complex is already in use, it was important to highlight the extensive interventions of the NEDC across critical sectors under the supervision of the Ministry of Regional Development.
He commended the Federal Government, under President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the consistent release of funds to intervention agencies, which has enabled the NEDC to deliver impactful projects across the region.
Receiving the facility, Deputy Governor Auwal Jatau acknowledged that health remains one of the most critical sectors of human development, noting that good health directly impacts the productivity and prosperity of individuals and communities.
He commended the federal government and the NEDC for fulfilling a core aspect of their mandate, rebuilding and developing states affected by insurgency, including Bauchi State.
The Minister and his delegation also inspected the Ophthalmology Complex at ATBUTH, which features consultation rooms, visual acuity testing rooms, an OCT room, treatment rooms, two operating theatres, recovery rooms, two intensive care units, male and female wards with 60-bed capacity, two teaching halls, a seminar room, a pharmacy, a library, ICT facilities, and a lounge.
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