A civic accountability organisation, MonITNG, has revealed the distressing condition of Government Secondary School (GSS) Cikaji in Sabongari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, where hundreds of students have been out of school for more than two years due to the complete collapse and abandonment of the facility.
The group described the situation as a reflection of deep government neglect and failure in the education sector. The once-thriving public school, which served as a beacon of hope for children in the community, now lies in ruins, overtaken by decay and surrounded by danger.
When investigators from MonITNG visited the school, they were met with a shocking scene — classrooms with broken roofs, cracked walls, fallen ceilings, and an environment unfit for learning or human use.
“It was a heartbreaking sight. A school that once gave hope to the children of Cikaji now stands in ruins, forgotten and abandoned,” the group stated.
According to MonITNG, the institution has remained closed for over two years, leaving more than a hundred students without access to education. Parents in the community reportedly lamented that their children have no alternative schools nearby, forcing many of them to stay at home or abandon learning altogether.
The organisation also discovered an uncovered soakaway pit behind one of the collapsed buildings, describing it as a serious safety hazard that could lead to tragedy at any moment.
“That open pit is a disaster waiting to happen. It endangers not only students but anyone who sets foot within the premises,” the group warned.
MonITNG criticised the Kaduna State Government for neglecting public education despite receiving billions of naira in funding from both federal allocations and development partners. It expressed frustration that despite repeated budgetary provisions, schools across the state continue to deteriorate while thousands of children suffer the consequences.
“Every year, Kaduna State announces large budgets for education, yet classrooms continue to collapse, roofs leak, and children learn in unsafe environments,” the statement read.
The organisation further observed that the huge investments in education have not translated into visible improvements where they are needed most — in rural communities and among children who rely on public schools.
“The failure to fix schools like GSS Cikaji proves that education funding is not reaching the grassroots where it can make the greatest difference,” it added.
MonITNG accused the current administration of placing little priority on addressing the crisis in education, warning that continued neglect would further endanger the future of young people across the state.
“The future of thousands of children depends on swift, decisive action. No child in Kaduna should be deprived of education because of government inaction,” the group emphasised.
Residents of the community also appealed to the government to intervene and restore the abandoned school before it becomes completely irreparable. They expressed disappointment that promises to fix the school have remained unfulfilled.
Education advocates have since described the situation at GSS Cikaji as a mirror of the broader challenges facing public schools in Kaduna State, where many children still study under leaking roofs, in half-collapsed classrooms, or under trees.
“If our children can’t learn in safety, what future are we building for them?” a community leader lamented.
MonITNG called on Governor Uba Sani to urgently prioritise the rehabilitation of GSS Cikaji and other neglected schools across the state, ensuring that every child has access to safe and quality education.