In this piece, an experienced journalist tells Emma Agu captures Nigeria’s emerging ‘Silicon Valley’, the promise of a great future and the passion that grips the people of Enugu State
Peter Mbah is a man of few words and soft steps. During a visit to the state as part of a delegation, I asked him why he spoke so few words, to which he replied: “To work and to execute our mandate, a lot of energy is needed; so I save the energy for action by speaking very few words”.
Less than twenty-four hours later, we had proof of the governor’s claim. We were particularly excited to visit the Owo campus of the Enugu Smart School System. Perhaps I should waste no time in saying that going through some of Mbah’s signature projects was reassuring that, beyond the noise and din of publicists, the famous Enugu Smart School System for which the Mbah administration has received lavish accolades was more monumental than has ever been recognized.
Work has already commenced in 160 of the total 260 wards in the state. If this is not phenomenal, nothing else can be. And if our visit to the Owo School, which is already fully operational, was an eye-opener, our tour of the Smart School under construction in Amaechi Idodo was sobering and fascinating.
Both the workers at the project site and the teachers at the adjacent Uzam Community School had nothing but praise for the work.
Three workers at the construction site, Ani Christian, Emmanuel Nnamani and Ani Emmanuel Ebube Chukwu, all masons, from Amaechi Idodo, were busy shaping blocks when we arrived. They all had nothing but praise for the governor. So did the principal of Uzam Community School 1, Amaechi Idodo, Mrs Regina Ngozi Nnaji.
When asked if she was not worried about losing her job under the new school system, she replied, “We are very happy. In fact, we are in a state of jubilation; the governor is doing his best. We are not afraid of any loss of jobs because we expect to be carried along as the schools are being upgraded. And more importantly, I am happy to witness this remarkable transformation in my life.” It was a moving moment for us. Such an emotional connection resonated with every place we visited.
But why didn’t the government use the existing school structure? Josh Ejeh, SA Research & Documentation under the media unit, explained that the old structures would not fit the configuration needed to realise the digital dream. This became clear when we got to the Smart School in Owo, a paradigm shift from the conventional education system.
Among the classes the team visited was grade five, where a lesson in mechatronics was being taught. Mecha-what, in an elementary school? Yes, mechatronics, not government, history or geography or just physics. Surprised, we asked which of the students could give us the definition of mechatronics. Even more surprised when several hands went up at the same time. The lot fell on nine-year-old Miracle Okafor.
“Mechatronics,” Miracle began, “is the combination of mechanics, electronics, and computers to create a technology of artificial intelligence.” Whether she was right or wrong didn’t matter as much as her punctuality, precision, and self-confidence.
Ani Chinyere Lynda, the class teacher who takes Miracle’s class in mechatronics, was on her side cheerful. Ani, a graduate of computer science from Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, who is teaching the subject for the first time, had this to say about the development in the education sector of the state: “It is a very nice innovation. We thank our governor for bringing this kind of innovation to us. It is a very good one because I know that in the future our children will be smart, they will not lack anything; they will be productive.”
Such optimism permeates the school’s staff and students. It was evident in the passion, enthusiasm and, to borrow a popular Nigerian cliché, the body language of the staff. Mr. Timothy Okite, who had taught in the public school system before joining Smart School, puts the paradigm shift in a comparative perspective. According to him, there are many differences between the Smart School system and the previous system. In his words:
“When you go to the environment, this place is more serene; very calm for them. When you go to the technological aspect; in that place (the conventional system), the students don’t know what a computer is, they don’t know what ICT is. But here you can see the digital board. In that place, it’s a charcoal board that they use, not even the whiteboard. But once you get to this place, everything changes about you, whether you are a teacher or a student. The mentality changes, the lifestyle changes: the way you dress, the way you speak”. He was right. We saw it, we felt it, and despite the time pressure, we were literally reluctant to leave the school.
What future does the Smart School System hold for Enugu State, for Nigeria and for the world? Before we go to Governor Peter Mbah’s answer, let’s listen to the teacher again: “You are looking for great inventors, great scientists, great men and women who will take the state and Nigeria to greater heights. These children will do wonders”. Great. But wait a minute.
If we thought we had seen it all, we were wrong. Not until you see or hear Dr. Chinyere Onyeisi, the Director of Experiential Learning in the Enugu State School System.
The arrival of Dr. Onyeisi changed the pace of our involvement. This was evident on the face of the school’s principal, Mrs. Juliet Okey Eze, who has the distinction of being the pioneer of the first Smart School in Enugu State. After just five months on the job, both Mrs. Eze and Josh Ejeh, who was our roadshow guide, wasted no time in handing over the reins and control to Dr. Onyeisi.
As Onyisi led us to the well-equipped science lab, we were immediately reminded of the futuristic nature of the project with the inscription: “Tomorrow is here”. That sums up the smart school scheme, the new educational ecosystem through which Governor Mbah aims to create an innovative human capital corps, with the requisite skills and mindset to integrate Enugu State into the global tech architecture.
With the zeal of an evangelist, Onyeisi took us through the different sections of the Tomorrow is Here Innovation Studio Makerspace, which is characterized by three hubs: the Imagination Hub, the Digital Creativity Hub, and the Mechatronics Hub. She noted that the components of the imagination hub are Arts & Multimedia, 3D printing & Extended Reality, while the Digital Creativity Hub covers coding, robotics and artificial intelligence, and the Mechatronics Hub consists of mechanics and electronics. We couldn’t help but applaud the vision, tenacity and focus of Peter Mbah, whose revolutionary curriculum should form a peer review template.
In order to avoid disruption of academic work, Owo Smart School, in line with the project concept, is equipped with solar energy, unlimited power supply and unlimited internet access.
Dr. Onyeisi also showed us the Smart Agric Farm where she said the students began their experiential learning process and the ICT lab where budding tech gurus like Miracle Okafor hone their skills. According to Onyeisi, the system not only teaches the children to follow trends in technology but also recognizes the need for them to understand basic electronics, including repairing them. As she puts it, “Every day we tether ourselves to electronic devices like our phones and other gadgets. We need someone who understands the basic functionality and how to repair them, so we encourage our children to learn how to do that.”
Peter Mbah’s plan to conquer the world through ICT seems ambitious. But based on the evidence from the Smart Green School in Owo, it won’t take long to realise his vision, which he summarises as follows: “We want young people to embrace the emerging future of robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and disruptive innovation through skills in information and technology”.
In Peter Mbah’s Enugu, the future is already here!
