…As intervention delivers 11 classrooms, offices, toilets, library, assembly hall
By | Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja
Students and teachers of Comprehensive High School, Edemaya, in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, are set to benefit from improved learning and working conditions following an infrastructure upgrade supported by Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO) through the Vcare for Development Foundation (VCDF).
The intervention, being implemented under VCDF’s Model School Initiative (MSI) in collaboration with the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Education, is aimed at providing a safer, more functional and conducive learning environment for students and teachers.
The ongoing project comprises three classroom blocks housing 11 classrooms, three offices for the school’s administration and staff, three toilet facilities, a library and an assembly hall.
The project also includes connecting walkways, an entrance gate and a security room designed to improve safety and movement within the school premises.
Speaking during a visit to the project site, the Director of Projects at the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Education, Mr. Edo H. Ekpene, commended Sterling Oil and VCDF for the intervention.
Ekpene said the quality of work being delivered at the school was commendable, assuring that the Ministry of Education would continue to monitor the project to ensure that required standards were maintained.
He also called for the extension of similar interventions to other communities across the state to enable more students to benefit from improved learning environments.
The Principal of Comprehensive High School, Edemaya, Mrs. Regina Aniekan Jack, also expressed appreciation to Sterling Oil and VCDF for selecting the school for the intervention.
She said the ongoing construction work met the school’s specifications and would significantly improve the learning environment for both students and staff.
Beyond the physical structures, the intervention is expected to provide students with a more secure and supportive environment in which they can learn, develop confidence and acquire skills needed for their future.
The Model School Initiative contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4, which focuses on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
According to VCDF, the MSI programme has so far taken up interventions in nine schools, with two schools—Obele Community Junior and Senior High Schools—completed in Lagos State, while Iko Community Secondary School in Iko Town, Akwa Ibom State, has also been completed.
The completed projects were handed over in the presence of the Commissioners of Education in Lagos and Akwa Ibom states.
Building on the projects, Sterling Oil has sponsored VCDF to undertake interventions in six additional schools across Akwa Ibom, Delta and Lagos states.
Since 2022, VCDF’s broader education programmes, sponsored by Sterling Oil, have reached more than 37,515 people across the three states, while the Model School Initiative alone has reached more than 4,755 beneficiaries.
The partnership, according to VCDF, underscores Sterling Oil’s commitment to expanding access to quality education by investing in infrastructure that provides safer and more supportive spaces for students to learn and thrive.
VCDF said it would continue to leverage Sterling Oil’s corporate social responsibility investments while working with government institutions and communities to improve access to quality education across Nigerian communities.
