Nabdam DCE leads push to improve education infrastructure and performance

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Nabdam, Hon. Francis Tobig, is leading an education improvement drive aimed at addressing infrastructure, furniture, water and academic performance challenges across the district.

As a professional educationist who spent more than 20 years teaching at Kongo Senior High School, Hon. Tobig says his experience in the classroom has given him a firsthand understanding of the difficulties confronting teachers and students, including overcrowded classrooms, inadequate furniture and poor learning conditions.

Speaking in an exclusive interview on SPEAKOUT UPPER EAST with Apexnewsgh’s Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen, the DCE outlined a number of interventions being pursued by the Nabdam District Assembly to improve the quality of education.

“I have lived it,” Hon. Tobig shared, reflecting on his years in the classroom. “That’s why I am committed to making a real difference.”

The Assembly is undertaking several infrastructure projects, including the construction of a three-unit classroom block with a Head Teacher’s office, storeroom, ICT laboratory, library, staff room and an eight-seater KVIP toilet facility.

A new Junior High School is also being constructed at Damolgo to improve access to education for children in the area.

At Nkuziesie, work includes a two-unit KG block with an office, store, five-seater KVIP facility and gender-friendly urinals. The project also includes a protective fence and shed.

The Assembly is also rehabilitating classroom blocks at the Nangodi Cluster of Schools and has undertaken the demolition of old KG blocks at Pelungu as part of efforts to improve safety and create better learning environments.

At Kongo, the ICT laboratory is receiving attention, including burglar-proofing and painting.

Beyond classroom infrastructure, the Assembly is addressing water challenges affecting educational institutions. The Nabdam Education Directorate is being connected to a mechanised water system, while five new mechanised boreholes with overhead tanks are scheduled for institutions including the Sakote Teachers’ Quarters and Kongo KG.

Additional educational projects are also being procured, including a primary school at St. John’s School in Sakote and an educational facility at Potin.

The DCE also clarified that although a new ultra-modern chief’s palace has been completed at Nkuziesie, the project is separate from the Assembly’s education development initiatives.

Furniture remains another major challenge confronting schools in the district. The Assembly is therefore procuring 1,000 pieces of furniture this year, comprising 600 dual desks and 400 single desks, with another 1,000 planned for 2026.

“It’s not just about providing desks,” the DCE emphasised. “But taking care of what we have.”

Following a visit to a classroom where several pieces of furniture were broken, Hon. Tobig said the Assembly would work with the Education Directorate to establish a stronger maintenance system to ensure that school resources are properly maintained and serve students for longer periods.

While infrastructure development remains a major priority, the DCE said academic performance must also improve.

He expressed concern over the district’s performance in the 2025 BECE, noting that only one student achieved an aggregate of 20.

“We must do better,” he said, while pledging continued engagement with schools and parents to encourage higher expectations and improved academic outcomes.

The interventions, according to Hon. Tobig, form part of a broader effort to create better conditions for teaching and learning in Nabdam.

With investments in classrooms, water facilities, furniture, maintenance and academic engagement, the district is seeking to provide an environment in which children can learn effectively and have greater opportunities for the future.