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The All-Africa Students’ Union (AASU) has officially commended the Government of Abia State, Nigeria, for embarking on the establishment of 20 Smart-Schools across the state, describing the project as a bold step toward advancing education, promoting digital literacy, and empowering young people in Africa.

In a press release issued on Friday, August 22, 2025, and signed by Cde Abrhaley Hailenchael, Special Envoy on Special Projects to the Presidency of AASU, the Union’s leadership under President His Excellency Osisiogu Osikenyi E. praised the initiative for providing “free, inclusive, and technology-driven education” and emphasized its alignment with AASU’s strategic priorities of promoting access to quality education, protecting students’ rights, enhancing skills for the future, and fostering pan-African unity.

The Union underscored that education infrastructure such as the Smart-Schools represents the backbone of a thriving education system. With more than 100 million out-of-school children across Africa, AASU stressed that innovative projects like those in Abia State are crucial for reducing this number and for equipping students with the tools they need to succeed in the modern world.

According to the statement, “education infrastructure such as Smart-Schools is the backbone of a thriving education system, providing students with the state-of-the-art environment and resources they need to succeed especially with the towering number of out-of-school children in Africa at over 100 million, more efforts such as these must be encouraged in States to ensure the number tends to absolute zero.”

Acknowledging that concerns have been raised about the cost of the project, AASU maintained that investment in education is indispensable for long-term progress.

The statement noted that “AASU acknowledges the potential controversies surrounding the project’s cost but emphasizes the importance of investing in education. We believe that this initiative will empower Abia’s youth, enhance the state’s education system, and contribute to Africa’s development.”

The Union went further to commend the Abia State Government for its innovative thinking and expressed optimism about the broader impact of the initiative on governance and social progress in the state.

“AASU commends the Abia State Government for this innovative initiative and looks forward to seeing its positive impact on the state’s education sector and how the oversight impact of the same could boost other aspects of the already well-doing polity of Abia State of Nigeria. By investing in education, we can unlock the potential of Africa’s youth and drive development across the continent,” the statement declared.

To reinforce its support and oversight role, AASU announced that its President, HE Osisiogu Osikenyi, will personally lead a high-level delegation on a “One Day Working Visit” to Abia State. The delegation will undertake an independent facility tour of selected Smart-Schools and other education infrastructure investments across the state.

With this strong endorsement, AASU reaffirmed its continental commitment to advancing education, student empowerment, and pan-African cooperation. The Union described Abia State’s Smart-Schools project as a model for Africa, one that could inspire other governments to adopt similar bold initiatives to transform education, empower youth, and accelerate development across the continent.

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