Inside 150-Year-Old Ogun Community Struggling With Decay
In Ebute-Igbooro, a 150-year-old community in Ogun State, students use ceramic tiles as classroom boards while learning in broken buildings. The town, located on the Nigeria–Benin border, faces severe neglect despite its long history.
Pupils Write on Tiles
At St Johns Anglican Primary School, forty ceramic tiles form a makeshift whiteboard divided into mathematics, English, and basic technology sections. The date on the board reads September 30, 2025, yet the school’s facilities seem trapped in another era.
With 242 pupils from nearby villages, the school has seven classrooms — three painted blocks and four crumbling ones with cracked walls and leaking roofs. Many learners study without shoes, bags, or textbooks. Locals say the school has a well but no clean water and no fence to protect against vandalism.
“We need boreholes and a fence,” a resident said. “Hoodlums often damage our classrooms and offices.”
Open Defecation Persists
At the nearby Yewa North Local Government Primary School, open defecation remains common. The 210 pupils use bushes for toilets, as the two under-construction restrooms are meant only for teachers.
A teacher noted, “We need toilets for the children, not just for staff. They’re also drilling a borehole, but what we really need are classroom repairs and computers.”
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Colonial-Era Classrooms Still Standing
Issa Olude, an alumnus and current chairman of the Association of Senior Civil Servants, said some school buildings are over a century old. “They were built by colonial masters more than 100 years ago,” he explained. “We’re thankful that new structures are slowly appearing.”
Residents Demand Basic Services
Residents lament the lack of schools, jobs, and healthcare. A mother of four, Ademola Muyinat, said, “We need more schools and repairs. Our general hospital has no beds or toilets.”
Another resident, Kabirat Bunmi, added, “We make garri and sell it in Lagos because we have no market here. We need clean water and a proper market.”
Youth leader Emmanuel Akeem appealed for jobs, banks, and road repairs. “We travel to Ilaro just to deposit money. Our roads are terrible, and young people need work,” he said.
Monarch’s Appeal
Oba Amusa Adetunji Dosunmu, the Elebute of Ebute-Igbooro, urged the government to focus on lasting development. “We want progress that helps our children. We need markets, banks, good roads, and renovated schools,” he said.
Government Yet to Respond
State Education Commissioner Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu said he needed more details before confirming the schools’ condition. As of press time, he had not provided an update.
Ebute-Igbooro’s condition mirrors many rural Nigerian towns where pupils learn with tiles for boards and bushes for toilets — a sign of resilience amid neglect.
