Islamic bank to build five smart boarding schools in Niger – Official

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) is planning to establish five smart boarding schools in Niger State under its $110 million Smart Education Transformation Project, the state government has said.

Bologi Ibrahim, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Mohammed Bago, said this in a statement issued Monday after a meeting between an IsDB delegation and the governor at the Government House in Minna.

The project, known as SmartEdu, will also be implemented in Yobe and Jigawa states. It is designed to expand digital learning infrastructure, improve school facilities and address the problem of out-of-school children.

The IsDB operations team leader, Imtiaz Alam, said the delegation was in Niger State to consult government officials and discuss preparations for implementing the project.

He said construction would begin after the preparatory mission and approval processes, with commencement expected by December 2026.

According to Mr Alam, the project will involve building modern boarding facilities equipped with digital learning infrastructure.

He also listed the Minna-Bida road, a bilingual education programme and a 100-megawatt solar project among other initiatives supported by the bank in the state.

The state’s Commissioner for Basic Education, Hadiza Mohammed, said the five proposed schools would cover basic and senior secondary education.

She said the facilities would include digital learning equipment, reliable electricity and water supply, alongside training for teachers and school managers.

Governor Bago said the state government would recruit teachers and other staff to take over the schools after their completion and handover.

The Federal Ministry of Finance delegation leader, Idris Barde, said the ministry monitors projects supported by the IsDB.

He described the Minna-Bida road project as one of the best-performing projects under implementation, saying it had achieved about 75 per cent completion within two years.