Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr Peters Nwagor, has approved the immediate upgrade of Community Secondary School, Agbonchia, in Eleme Local Government Area, from a junior to a senior secondary school.
Nwagor also directed the deployment of teachers to the school to strengthen teaching and learning.
The Commissioner announced the approval on Thursday, September 24, 2026, during an official visit to the school following an invitation by the Oneh-Eh-Eta of Agbonchia Kingdom, His Royal Highness, Emere Joseph Ngeto.
He commended the traditional ruler and people of Agbonchia for their commitment to providing educational opportunities for children and youths in the community.
Nwagor said the community’s initiative demonstrated the importance of community participation in the development of education, adding that the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara places great emphasis on education as the bedrock of human capital development.
He expressed delight at the level of development at the school, particularly the availability of substantial infrastructure capable of serving the educational needs of children and youths in the area.
The Commissioner urged the traditional institution, community leaders, parents and other stakeholders to protect the school facilities against vandalism, stressing that investments in education must be preserved for present and future generations.
He also encouraged parents in Agbonchia and neighbouring communities to patronise public schools, noting that government-owned schools have qualified teachers and facilities capable of providing quality education.
Nwagor reaffirmed the commitment of the Ministry of Education to collaborating with communities, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to strengthen public education and expand access to quality learning opportunities across the state.
Earlier, Emere Ngeto thanked the Commissioner for the visit and expressed appreciation for the Ministry’s interest in the development of the school.
The traditional ruler explained that the community had operated the school for about three years with the assistance of helping teachers after taking steps to establish a secondary school for its children.
He said Agbonchia previously had no secondary school until the community got an opportunity to request a development project from Shell as compensation for an oil spill that affected the community.
According to him, he personally requested a 24-classroom block, but 12 classrooms were eventually provided by Renaissance, enabling the community to commence the school from Junior Secondary School 1 to Junior Secondary School 3.
The monarch appealed to the Rivers State Government to consider granting permanent teaching appointments to the 20 helping teachers currently engaged and paid by the community to provide instructional services.
He expressed confidence that the intervention by the Ministry of Education would further strengthen the school and create greater educational opportunities for children and youths in Agbonchia Kingdom.
