Public primary schools in Owukpa, Benue State, are collapsing under years of neglect, with classrooms overtaken by reptiles and pupils disappearing. Teachers have either retired or fled, leaving a region once proud of its education system in crisis.
- Several public schools in Owukpa now have no pupils or teachers; reptiles roam abandoned classrooms.
- Parents pull children from public schools, citing insecurity, lack of infrastructure, and government inaction.
- Government recruitment gaps since 2007 have left massive teacher shortages, worsening the decline across Benue.
Veteran teachers and community leaders lament the death of public education in Owukpa. “It’s not just buildings collapsing—it’s children’s futures,” said Chief John Ameh Onuh. Parents now crowd private schools, desperate to give their children a shot at a better life.
If this collapse continues, how long before public education disappears completely in rural Nigeria? Can the government rebuild trust before an entire generation is lost?
