A recently completed public primary school in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has been abandoned, leaving more than a hundred pupils without access to education as teachers reportedly visit only once a week.

According to a report released on Wednesday by the Monitoring and Implementation Team Nigeria (MonITNG), LEA Primary School, Dumi, located in Gawu Ward of Abaji Area Council, is in a state of total neglect despite being a fully completed government project under the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB).

MonITNG said its field visit to the school revealed “heartbreaking” conditions, including locked classrooms, overgrown weeds, and a complete halt in learning activities.

“Teachers visit the school only once a week, stay for about an hour, and then disappear again for weeks or even months,” the organisation reported.

As a result, pupils have stopped attending altogether, while parts of the building have already begun to deteriorate. What was meant to be a center of learning and hope now stands as a symbol of government neglect and systemic failure.

Parents Frustrated, Pupils Abandoned

Community members told MonITNG that many parents have been forced to send their children to schools in neighboring communities. Those who cannot afford the costs of transport or private education have been left with no alternative, further widening the gap in access to education for children in rural areas.

“Those who can afford it have enrolled their children in private schools, while others have left their kids at home,” the report stated.

MonITNG described the situation as a waste of public resources and a violation of children’s right to education, calling for immediate intervention by relevant authorities.

Call for Urgent Government Action

The organisation appealed to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and Senator Ireti Kingibe to direct UBEB to take swift corrective measures.

“We are calling on the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and Senator Ireti Kingibe, to urgently intervene and ensure that UBEB compels teachers to return to their duty posts,” MonITNG said.
“The school environment must be rehabilitated, and effective monitoring mechanisms put in place to prevent a recurrence.”

MonITNG stressed that the government has a duty to protect the educational rights of children in rural communities.

“The children of Dumi deserve better. Education is not a privilege; it is their right. The government must act now to restore learning and hope to this forgotten community,” the statement added.

A Mirror of a Larger Problem

LEA Primary School, Dumi, was constructed to expand access to basic education for children in Gawu Ward and surrounding settlements who previously walked long distances to attend school.

However, despite the infrastructure being ready and more than 113 pupils enrolled initially, poor supervision and teacher absenteeism have rendered the facility useless.

The situation in Dumi reflects a broader crisis affecting rural education across Nigeria — where public schools, though funded and built, often lie idle due to weak oversight, inadequate staffing, and poor accountability.

Education advocates have long warned that such neglect deepens inequality and threatens Nigeria’s goal of achieving inclusive and quality education for all by 2030.