COAS commissions 30-seater computer laboratory at Agunbiade Victory High School

The Nigerian Army has strengthened digital education in Ogun state with the commissioning of a fully furnished, solar-powered 30-seater computer laboratory at Agunbiade Victory High School, Magbon, Abeokuta.

The facility, equipped with high-speed internet access and renewable energy infrastructure, was provided under the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Special Intervention Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) Project.

Commissioning the project on behalf of the COAS, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Adebayo Abdulrahman Babalola, said the intervention was designed to improve access to digital learning resources for students and residents of Magbon and adjoining communities.

He said the facility would provide a conducive environment for teaching, learning, research and innovation, while equipping students with computer literacy and digital skills needed in a rapidly changing world.

According to him, the impact of the intervention should go beyond the physical transformation of the school by promoting knowledge sharing, creating opportunities and fostering a more informed, productive and technologically empowered community.

The COAS urged the school management and members of the benefiting communities to take ownership of the facility, protect it and ensure its proper utilisation and maintenance for future generations.

The project benefactor, Major General Ismail Dapo Oloyede, expressed gratitude to God and the COAS for making his long-held desire to give back to his alma mater a reality.

Oloyede said Agunbiade Victory High School played an important role in shaping his life through the guidance and discipline he received there.

He expressed hope that the computer laboratory would become a platform for learning, innovation, creativity and development for students and other beneficiaries.

The Chief of Civil-Military Affairs (Army), Major General Mohammed Etsu IndagI, described the intervention as part of the Nigerian Army’s efforts to strengthen its relationship with communities through practical development projects.

He explained that the COAS CIMIC Special Intervention Project was designed to honour senior military officers, particularly Major Generals, while giving back to communities that produced them.

According to him, projects under the scheme include interventions in healthcare, potable water supply, schools, roads and bridges.

The newly commissioned laboratory comprises 30 computer systems, high-speed internet connectivity and a solar power system designed to provide dependable electricity for digital learning.

The solar component, the Army said, would also promote the adoption of renewable energy solutions while reducing dependence on conventional electricity supply.

In his goodwill message, Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, commended corporate organisations, individuals and old students for contributing to the revitalisation of education in the state.

He said the provision of 30 computers with solar power and internet connectivity was a deliberate effort to ensure that students of the school were not left behind in digital education.

The commissioning was attended by serving and retired senior military officers, officials of the Ogun State Ministry of Education, traditional rulers, members of the Old Students Association, teachers and students.

Highlights included goodwill messages, cultural displays by students, the commissioning and unveiling of a commemorative plaque, as well as group photographs.