Nigerians will not forget in a hurry how former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Ameachi, changed the face of education in the state for the better. The future of every nation depends on qualitative education; hence the demand for quality education cannot be overemphasized.
Among the developmental strides of the Rotimi Ameachi-led administration, the turn-around in the education sector was key, due to its strategic importance in developing the future generation and creating better citizenry for the society.
Ameachi’s government was so passionate about the sector that the state was awarded the book capital of the world by UNESCO (the first of its kind in Nigeria).


Bangkok team, the 2013 holder of the title, UNESCO’s World Book Capital, formally handed over to the Nigerian city of Port Harcourt on April 23, 2014, making the hundred year old city, the first in Sub Saharan Africa, and the second in the entire Africa, after Alexandria, Egypt (2002).


Port Harcourt was chosen on account of the quality of its programme, in particular its focus on youth and the impact it will have on improving Nigeria’s culture of books reading, writing and publishing to improve literacy rates.


Rivers State, like some other states in the oil rich South-south region has its fair share of societal vices, ranging from militancy, armed robbery, kidnapping, prostitution etc.
Perhaps the then Ameachi-led administration realized the impending danger of negative civilisation for its immediate environment and the nation at large, and chose to address the latent problem through a strategic and sound educational policy.


The achievement of this objective was anchored on the construction of schools with provision of ICT Labs which are well stocked with computers, Libraries, auditoriums, well-landscaped and secured environments, equipped playgrounds, with a classroom not exceeding 30 pupils, for thorough supervision. The state’s education sector during the Rotimi Amaechi era witnessed an unprecedented revolution, the milestone recorded was anchored on the peoples’ ownership of the process that delivered quality and affordable education.
The former governor who acknowledged the importance of imbibing noble ideas in the minds of young people, placed more emphasis on Early Child Education (ECD) i.e primary and junior secondary education.


During Amaechi’s eight years reign, the state government commenced construction of 750 model primary schools to replace the collapsing structures he inherited, more than 500 of these schools have been completed and in use.
He also increased the ECDs from a little above 400 to 728, at the same time increased the number of Primary Schools from 700 to 947, a feat commended by the Universal Basic Education (UBE).


It is worthy of note that primary schools with ECDs recorded a significant increment from 360 to 710. There are 18 standalone ECD centers in Rivers state, giving it a far lead in the South-south zone - only Delta state achieved a similar feat with about four centers.
Ameachi did not stop at erecting structures and facilities to encourage more pupils enrollment in schools, his policy ensured that learning and examination ethics were inculcated into the psyche of the pupils.


This necessitated various skills development programmes for teachers in the state, the immediate up-skilling of teachers with the University of Cambridge teachers’ certification in collaboration with the British Council , renovation of schools staff quarters and Ministry of Education zonal offices, and taking over the responsibility of paying primary school teachers from the local governments were indeed laudable efforts.


No wonder, the Rivers State Examination Malpractice Index stood at 13.09% towards 2015, compared to the 34% as at 2007.
Establishment of Rivers State Education Quality Assurance Agency, inaugurated in 2013 with the mandate to monitor, supervise and evaluate standards for establishment and performance of both public and private schools in Rivers state was also an important dimension of the educational programme of the Amaechi-led administration.


The agency was as well saddled with the task to oversee the management of both public and private primary and secondary schools in the state, with a view to having it conform with minimum standards for better education in the state. Even an increase in total primary school enrolment and net enrolment of 269,059 and 235,978 respectively, amounting to over 35 per cent improvement couldn’t affect delivery.


During this period, the enrolment in ECD centers rose to 40,344 from total enrolment of less than 30,000 during the pre-Amaechi era. Furthermore, the state recoded commendable strides in Junior Secondary school enrolment, it increased to 125,294 from a pre Amaechi figure of less than 70%. Rivers received an award as the best UBE state.


Under Amaechi, at the Senior Secondary school level, the performances of students during WAEC exams was outstanding. The state repeatedly ranked between 3rd and 6th since 2010 nationwide, while in 2013, Rivers state recorded over 58 per cent pass rate compared to the national average of 25 per cent.


This could be the governments rewards for employing about 13,000 teachers in one day, and provision of school uniforms and learning materials to teachers and pupils, which are just normal responsibility of any purposeful government.
In addition, the Rivers State Sustainable development Agency (RSSDA) in partnership with United Nations Institute for Training and research (UNITAR) encouraged technical education at the tertiary level, both within the country and abroad. 309 Rivers students studied in Malaysia while 95 studied in Russia. 28 students attended a technical school in Germany and 8 out of the 28 were retained as instructors.


Furthermore, there was equipment of vocational schools - They were equipped to handle four departments/vocations.
The administration sustained the Rivers State Scholarship Board with 1039 Nigerians at the undergraduate in different universities across Nigeria, 301 beneficiaries at Master’s degree level and 209 at PhD level, while 154 candidates enjoyed scholarship overseas at the undergraduate level, 44 at Master’s degree level and 6 PhD candidates.


When Amaechi assumed power in 2007, he lamented that the educational infrastructures in the state were in extreme decay and begging for urgent attention. The then governor rolled his sleeves, brought on board men and women of supreme administrative qualities and immersed headlong into the muddied waters of education in the state. After eight years of unparalleled investment, the administration delivered to the people one of the most comprehensive, functional and qualitative educational system in the history of Nigeria.
It is however imperative that the current governor, Nyesom Wike, consolidates on the solid foundation laid by his predecessor. The governor should differentiate clearly between politics and governance and allow younger citizens of the state enjoy even better dividends of democracy during his administration.


Governor Wike will no doubt make an indelible mark if he ensured completion of uncompleted projects initiated by the last administration.
The then Rotimi Ameachi-led administration will be fondly remembered by the people for his determination to change the phase of education in the state, and the sustained legacies.

OP, pls go for brain test

smh