Niger State's plan for five schools in Nigeria forms part of a $110 million education effort across three states; the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) board still must review the proposal, leaving timing and financing unsettled.
Niger State Commissioner for Basic Education Hadiza Mohammed said the proposed schools would serve basic and senior secondary students. Plans include digital teaching materials, dependable electricity and water, as well as training for teachers and school administrators.
Officials described the $110 million project as covering Niger, Jigawa and Yobe states. Jigawa Gov. Umar Namadi's office said an IsDB team was consulting the three governments and preparing a submission for the bank's Board of Executive Directors to review and approve. The office gave no date for board action.
Jigawa's governor's office outlined a possible combination of IsDB development financing and Global Partnership for Education (GPE) grants, while seeking more donor support. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) separately reported that potential grant sources also included the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation. The final financing mix has not been confirmed.
The proposed timetable varies by source. Niger State said construction could begin by Dec. 2026, subject to preparation and approvals. Daily Trust reported an expected 2027 start for implementation, also dependent on reviews and approvals. No IsDB document cited in connection with the proposal confirms a construction start date.
A Dec. 2024 IsDB report on earlier consultations cited children out of school, crowded classrooms and gaps in school facilities as challenges shared by the states. The report recorded earlier discussions identifying Federal Executive Council approval, inclusion in the national borrowing plan and state counterpart funding as requirements. Those points concerned the earlier preparation stage; final terms for the current proposal have not been confirmed.
Niger State Gov. Mohammed Umaru Bago said the state would hire teachers and other staff after the schools are handed over. NAN reported that Bago named Minna, Suleja, Bida, Kontagora and New Bussa as proposed locations. The next step identified by Jigawa's governor's office is consideration by the IsDB board, with no decision date announced.
