Odita Sunday 
By Odita Sunday
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has commissioned a fully furnished, solar-powered 30-seater computer laboratory with high-speed internet access at Agunbiade Victory High School, Magbon, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The intervention, executed under the COAS Special Intervention Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) Project, is designed to expand access to digital learning resources and equip students with computer skills, research opportunities and technological competencies needed to compete in an increasingly digital world.
The COAS, represented at the commissioning ceremony by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Adebayo Abdulrahman Babalola, said the project was timely and consequential, particularly in improving digital learning opportunities for students of the school and other beneficiaries in Magbon and adjoining communities.
According to him, the facility would provide a functional and conducive environment for teaching, learning, research and innovation, while enhancing computer literacy and digital skills among the beneficiaries.
Shaibu said the impact of the intervention should go beyond the physical transformation of the school, stressing that it should facilitate knowledge sharing, create opportunities and contribute to building a more informed, productive and technologically empowered community.
He urged the people of Magbon and other beneficiaries to take collective ownership of the facility by protecting, properly utilising and preserving it for future generations.
The COAS also charged the school management, community and relevant authorities to put in place appropriate arrangements for routine maintenance, security and sustained functionality of the facility.
The project was initiated in honour of Major General Ismail Dapo Oloyede, who described the intervention as the fulfilment of a long-held desire to give back to his alma mater.
Oloyede expressed gratitude to God and the COAS for bringing the ambition to fruition, recalling that Agunbiade Victory High School was where he received guidance and discipline that contributed significantly to the person he had become.
He expressed the hope that the computer laboratory would become a platform for learning, innovation, creativity and development for the students and the wider community.
Also speaking, the Chief of Civil-Military Affairs (Army), Major General Mohammed Etsu IndagI, said the project demonstrated the Nigerian Army’s commitment to strengthening its relationship with communities through direct interventions.
Indagi explained that the COAS CIMIC Special Intervention Project was established to execute projects in honour of senior military officers, particularly serving and retired Major Generals, in recognition of their service to the nation and in appreciation of the communities that produced them.
He said interventions under the scheme covered areas including healthcare, provision of potable water, construction and renovation of schools, roads and bridges, among others.
The newly commissioned facility comprises 30 computers, solar power infrastructure and high-speed internet connectivity, providing students with opportunities to acquire digital skills, access educational resources, conduct research and build technological confidence.
The solar-powered component, the Army said, is also intended to provide a dependable electricity supply while promoting the adoption of renewable energy solutions.
In a goodwill message, the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, expressed satisfaction with the contributions of corporate organisations, individuals and old students towards the revitalisation of education in the state.
Arigbabu said the provision of 30 computers with solar power and internet connectivity was a deliberate effort to ensure that the school was not left behind in the digital transformation of education.
The commissioning ceremony 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, as well as staff and students of the school.
The event also featured goodwill messages, cultural displays by students, the unveiling of a commemorative plaque and group photographs.
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