More than a year after the Federal Government released ₦74.58 million for the construction of new classroom blocks at Pobuna Secondary Grammar School, Poka, Epe, Lagos State, the project remains abandoned, raising fresh concerns over the management of public education funds.
Findings show that the funds were disbursed on June 27, 2024, to Joyful Sound Nigeria Ltd through the Federal Ministry of Justice, with the project expected to deliver modern classrooms and toilet facilities to ease congestion and improve learning conditions at the school.
Initial work reportedly commenced shortly after the release of funds, as building materials were delivered to the site, walls were erected and concrete beams cast, giving students and community members hope that relief from overcrowded classrooms was imminent.
However, that optimism has since faded. A visit to the project site in January 2026 revealed a deserted construction area, with unfinished structures, idle scaffolding and no sign of ongoing work. Community members confirmed that the contractor had not returned to the site since May 2025.
As the project stalls, students of Pobuna Secondary Grammar School continue to receive lessons in congested classrooms, a situation education advocates warn undermines effective teaching, compromises hygiene standards and affects students’ dignity and overall learning outcomes.
The abandoned project, which was designed to provide essential learning infrastructure, has now become another example of stalled public works in the education sector, where funds are released but outcomes fail to materialise.
Tracka, a civic accountability organisation that monitored the project, has called for urgent intervention by the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), which are listed as implementing agencies.
The organisation also urged anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to investigate the circumstances surrounding the abandoned project and ensure the contractor returns to the site.
Education stakeholders warn that continued delays not only waste public funds but also deny hundreds of students access to a safe and conducive learning environment, stressing that every stalled project represents lost time in the lives of learners who depend on public schools.
For the students of Pobuna Secondary Grammar School, the unfinished classrooms stand as a daily reminder of an unfulfilled promise, one that underscores the broader challenge of accountability in Nigeria’s education sector.
