By Stanley Onyekwere
Following his official resumption in late December 2025 after a three-week suspension, the Mandate Secretary for Education in the FCT, Dr. Danlami Hayyo, recently sat down with some journalists to discuss administrative reforms, school safety, and the ambitious infrastructure milestones set for the first quarter of 2026.
Dr. Hayyo, welcome back. Your return followed a brief suspension linked to a communication error regarding school closures. How has that experience shaped your approach to the Secretariat’s administration?
Thank you. It is good to be back at work. The suspension was a period of reflection. We identified a lapse in the approval hierarchy that led to an unauthorized circular. To ensure this never recurs, my priority is a series of refresher training programs for all directors. We are clarifying administrative mandates, so that every official understands the protocol for public communication. It’s about strengthening our internal systems to better serve the Minister, FCTA and the public.
Moving to infrastructure, the FCTA’s “whole-school” rehabilitation project has been a major talking point. What is the status of these projects?
We are making incredible strides. To date, we have fully revamped over 100 schools. We aren’t just painting walls; we are using a “whole-school rehabilitation” approach. This includes modernizing laboratories, libraries, hostels, and dining halls, alongside providing new furniture and sustainable water systems. By the end of this first quarter of 2026, we expect to commission between 60% and 70% of all ongoing public secondary school renovations.
There has been concern regarding the security of students across schools in the nation’s capital. What is the current security assessment especially for FCT schools?
I want to reassure parents that as of today,, all FCT schools are safe and secure. We maintain a robust partnership with the DSS and the Police. These agencies monitor potential threats around the clock and brief the Honorable Minister directly. We are not leaving anything to chance.
We’ve noted a significant shift toward technology in your recent budget approvals. Can you elaborate on the digital transformation plans?
Absolutely. The FCTA has just approved the procurement of over 1,000 laptops for our senior secondary schools. This is part of our shift toward a digitalised education system. We want our students to be digital oriented . This investment is already yielding results; our students are currently competing globally in robotics and artificial intelligence, with recent delegations sent to Switzerland, South Africa, and Morocco.
Metro Gazette.
There is the issue of funding. Critics often say education is underfunded in Nigeria. How does the FCT compare?
We are leading by example. I am proud to state that for the 2026 cycle, the FCT has met—and in some areas exceeded—the UNESCO recommendation of allocating 26% of the capital budget to the education sector. This level of investment is why we can afford large-scale rehabilitations and high-tech equipment simultaneously. Our goal is to make FCT public schools the gold standard for Nigeria and West Africa at large.
