Kaduna State Government says will take delivery of six science schools being constructed with the N4.37 billion, jointly funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), to be ready in April 2019.
The Project Manager for the schools, Malam Shehu Isa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Monday that the schools were at various stages of construction.
Isa explained that the schools, two each in the three senatorial districts, were located at Hunkuyi, Pambeguwa, Rigachikun, Buruku, Jere and Manchok.
According to him, the projects include the construction of classrooms, administrative blocks and staff quarters.
Others are laboratories, workshops, store, library, students’ hostels, kitchen, cafeteria, security post, and sporting grounds among others.
“The one in Hunkuyi was awarded to Havage Engineering Services, at the cost of N755.91 million, while the Pambeguwa project was awarded to Micans Nigerian Ltd., at N722.98 million.
“Gamji Nigerian Company Ltd., is handling Rigachikun project at the cost of N714.17 million, while Ummul Abiha Nigerian Ltd. is handling Buruku site at N714.82 million.
“Axaka Nigerian Ltd. and Edi-Jen Companies Nigerian Ltd., are handling Jere and Manchok projects at the cost of N705.35 million and N757.29 million respectively,’’ the project manager said.
Isa said that the N4.37 billion excluded the amount for the supply of furniture, learning materials, equipment and capacity building for teachers and education ministry officials.
He said that the construction began in July 2017 but experienced a delay because the plan was initially to construct four schools before the current administration increased it to six for equity.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Ja’afaru Sani, had said that the goal of the project was to promote science and technology education in the state.
Sani made the remarks after a tour of the schools to monitor the progress of work.
He said that the schools would have world-class facilities to offer the best science and technology education in the state.
“We want to have an environment where our students will be acquainted with the basic rudiments of science and technology at the basic level.
“This will enable them to grow up and become inventors, scientists and technologists.
“The world is technology-driven and all efforts must to be made to lay the necessary foundation for our children to have interest in science and technology.
“The current emphasis on science and technology education across the world is to equip our children with such skills
“This is to enable them to compete favourably with their contemporaries anywhere in the world,’’ Sani said.
The commissioner, who expressed satisfaction with the progress of work so far, assured that the state government and the IDB would continue to supervise the projects to ensure the contractors deliver as promised.
(NAN)
https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/03/10/governance/nigerian-government-to-strengthen-science-and-tech-for-better-result-minister-to-use-technological-knowledge-to-fight-poverty-joblessness/