By Dr. Maureen Kelechi Onukwe, Executive Director, Good Governance Awareness Initiative
On 13th May 2026, the Good Governance Awareness Initiative returned to DeiDei Primary School to fulfill a promise made on 15th April 2025.
When we first visited DeiDei Primary school, what we saw stayed with me. Pupils from nursery to primary were sitting on the bare floor, writing on their laps. No desks. No proper learning environment. Children who should be excited about school were instead struggling just to take notes.
That sight made me feel deeply uncomfortable. These children don’t deserve to learn in such deplorable conditions. Education is their right, and the least we can do is give them a decent place to sit and study. So that day, I made a promise: we would provide desks for them.
On 13th May 2026, we kept that promise.
This isn’t just about desks. It’s about dignity, and about sending a message to these children that they matter. A child sitting on the floor cannot focus, and a teacher cannot teach effectively in that environment. When we fail to give children a stable, safe place to learn, we push them away from education. And in the long run, we create the very problems we say we want to solve: insecurity, poverty, and lack of opportunity.
If we are serious about tackling insecurity in Nigeria, we must start with education. A child who learns in a decent environment is more likely to stay in school, dream bigger, and contribute positively to society.
This is why I’m calling on more philanthropists, private citizens, and government at all levels to look into our education sector. The condition of DeiDei Primary School is not unique. It’s 20 minutes from Abuja city center, yet the primary and even secondary schools there are in a terrible state. If this is happening so close to the capital, imagine what’s happening in more remote areas.
Education is key, and it cannot be overemphasized. Nigerians must also play their part; support where you can, and vote wisely for leaders who will bring real change to our schools, our communities, and our policies. These children are in your constituencies. Their future is in your hands.
At Good Governance Awareness Initiative, we will keep doing our part. But we cannot do it alone.
Let’s build a Nigeria where no child has to learn on the floor.