Under the scorching sun of Niger State, children huddle beneath a sprawling tree, their notebooks balanced on laps as dust swirls around them. This is not a pastoral scene of rural idyll—it is a desperate improvisation. For over five years, the primary school in Wasagi Village has lain in ruins, its collapsed building a stark symbol of neglect. Over 200 students now contend with distractions, fear, and the elements, while their pleas for help echo unheard by authorities.
The Collapse and its aftermath
In 2015, the two-classroom block at Wasagi Primary School crumbled, leaving a skeletal structure in its place and the community became stranded educationally.
The village school once accommodated primary classes 1 to 6, with up to 70 pupils per class. Now, more than 200 children sit under trees to learn, exposed to distractions and harsh weather conditions. Some parents, fearing for their children’s safety, have pulled them out of school altogether.
It is learnt that classes are split into shifts now that the building has collapsed as the pupils learn under the trees located outside the collapsing structure.
The Village Head, also called the Dagaci Wasagi, Mallam Alhassan Mohammed Wasagi, told ASHENEWS that since the collapse of the stricture, attendance has dropped as parents, fearing another disaster, keep children home.
“It has been more than three years since the building collapsed. The structure of the building is nothing to write home about. The children in the community were going to school but some stopped when the school collapsed.
“Even when they come to school, the children sit under the tree to learn because we are scared that it would collapse on them. We have been warned not to allow children into the building because it can collapse anytime. We are scared the building will collapse on them,” says Dagaci.
Decades of Broken Promises
Despite repeated appeals to the local government Chairman, the member of the House of Assembly representing the local government, the Commissioner of Works, and the State Ministry of Education, no action has been taken.
The Village Head disclosed that the House of Assembly member representing the local government area visited the school to “snap photos” of the ruins which yielded empty promises.
“Even the Commissioner of Works came here and discussed the situation, but nothing has changed,” he said.
The Chairman of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), Audu Mohammed recounts how the community pooled ₦500,000 for repairs, only to return the funds when efforts stalled.
“We’ve written applications, but there is no assistance,” he laments.
Voices from the Ground
The School’s Headmaster, Alhaji Mammam Jiya, who has led the school for five years, described the impact of the collapsed school on learning.
“I can’t carry out any administration. It has affected my work. I can’t do anything. I can’t do any administration. The students rarely come. The fear of the school collapsing has prevented some students from coming to the school regularly. We sit on the ground with no chair or table.
Jiya explained that the school was far different from the school he headed last and he has made several complaints to his superiors and authorities concerned but to no avail.
One of the teachers, Mohammed Abubakar, complained about how difficult it has been to manage the pupils and make them concentrate.
“They become distracted with anything that passes. Even a machine draws their eyes. How can they learn like this?”, he asks.
Parents like Alhaji Hussienai Wasagi are deeply pained by the situation. “It is heartbreaking. I have seven children, but they are afraid to come to school because of the fear that the building will collapse on them.
“The school was our pride. Now, my children fear coming to school. Sometimes, i have to force them to come. I feel challenged because I am not educated but I want them to be educated. But how will they be educated in a school like that?”
Similarly, Ibrahim, a former pupil of the school, described his time there as difficult. “It was not palatable. We managed it, but now my younger siblings have no school. I’m in JSS Kateregi now, but the struggle continues for my siblings. I want the government to build a proper school for them.”
Systemic Neglect
The educational challenges extend beyond the Wasagi primary school. Abdulkadir Mohammed, a voluntary teacher at Day Secondary School Badeggi, highlighted structural decay in other schools in Katcha.
“In our school, only three out of nine structures are standing. During the rainy season, the children get wet because the roofs leak. We have made complaints to the local authorities, but nothing has changed. Rain pours through roofs, disrupting lessons. Without good structures, students and teachers lose hope,” he says.
A Call to Action
“We need help from anyone from the government, non-governmental organizations, or individuals to step in and rebuild the school,” implores the Dagaci.
The need for intervention in Wasagi is urgent. The collapse of the school building has left children wandering aimlessly during school hours. Teachers lack proper classrooms, instructional materials, and laboratory equipment.
