The community’s plight dates back years, with no meaningful intervention during the eight-year tenure of former Governor Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In the heart of Nigeria’s oil and gas belt, children in Erema Community School, located in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, learn under the shade of trees, sitting on bare ground with neither classrooms nor desks.
A recent visit to the school revealed a heartbreaking reality where young pupils braving the harsh sun and unpredictable rain with no shelter, no blackboards, and no basic infrastructure, learn in conditions unfit for any child, let alone in one of Nigeria’s most resource-rich regions.
Erema, a host community to several oil installations, contributes significantly to the national economy.
Yet, it bears little sign of the wealth it helps generate.
This stark contradiction becomes more jarring in light of Rivers State’s allocation of the 13% oil derivation fund, meant specifically to support development in oil-producing areas like Erema.
In 2024 alone, the Rivers State Government allocated over N40.4billion to education.
However, for the children of Erema, that figure remains just another statistic, with no visible impact on their reality.
Their “classrooms” are open spaces beneath trees; their school furniture is the hard earth.
The community’s plight dates back years, with no meaningful intervention during the eight-year tenure of former Governor Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Despite repeated appeals, Erema saw little to no investment in its educational infrastructure, even as state officials touted development achievements elsewhere.
Speaking on the heartbreaking state of the school, MonITNG, a civic watchdog group, which visited the school decried the level of neglect of the oil-rich community by the state government.
The group stressed that education is a right of every child, not a luxury, and that every child deserves access to safe, functional, and dignified learning spaces, whether they live in Port Harcourt or Erema.
The group, while calling for an urgent intervention said, “The children here still sit on bare ground to learn, exposed to rain and sun.
“This is not just a failure, it is an injustice. Education is a right, not a luxury.
“Every child deserves access to safe, functional, and dignified learning spaces, whether they live in Port Harcourt or Erema.
“We cannot claim progress while communities like this are neglected.
“We are calling on the Rivers State Government, and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to urgently intervene.
“Build and furnish proper classrooms for Erema Community School. The children have waited long enough.”
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