Future of Nigeria’s education is ‘School in the neighbourhood’ system

Sending children under 18 years of age to faraway schools is not only risky but dangerous.

The best system of education, according to Bunmi Obembe, a retired oil engineer who is an education enthusiast, is what he called ‘School in the Neighbourhood system’.

The retired chief engineer said the future of Nigeria’s education lies in ‘School in the Neighbourhood’ system where parents can help nurture their children into adulthood.

According to the guest speaker, by the suggested system, Nigerian cities would be designed in such a way that children would walk to schools and back in the glare and care of their parents.

Obembe delivered the guest lecture at the ‘Physio-Cultural Sendforth Ceremony in the Woji area of Port Harcourt on Saturday, July 25, 2026.

He mentioned Showers International Christian School as a place that saved many families by providing a school equal in British standards yet full of strategies for strong moral and intellectual training to equip the child to face the future with assurances.

He said with Showers situated in the heart of Port Harcourt city afforded parents the opportunity of sending their children where they are protected and groomed well with foreign standards, especially zero-tolerance for exam fraud and no space for immorality.

Obembe said he spoke from direct experience, saying he sent his early children to faraway schools in search of quality, but had to change his mind. He also mentioned how his children went to some of the most expensive schools in Port Harcourt, before finding out the truth.

Saying Showers International which has some of the best graduating students both in Nigeria and abroad was bringing unique value in Nigeria, Obembe urged parents to shun faraway (foreign) schools.

He said: “Don’t keep sending these children thousands of miles away to go and attend primary and secondary school. Why go to Sokoto for what you can get in your Shokoto?’

He said he and his wife took the same risk but God helped his family to end well. He spoke about how he eventually brought some of his children to Showers and they ended well. “My daughter finished here before proceeding to the US. She got a scholarship for her pharmacy study and qualified as a Doctor of Pharmacy. And my son finished from here too, went to the US also, and now works for Google! He is making waves there.”

He advised the graduating students to learn to make good choices and how to think for themselves. He admitted that after studying under a strong Christian background, he faced challenges of wrong choices as an undergraduate but recovered himself later in life. He further admitted that he lost a lot for his mistakes, and urged the graduands not to make mistakes to avoid harsh consequences.

In his words: “A school in the neighborhood is the new way to go. Children should go to school up to the age of 18 from home. This idea of sending children far away to boarding schools and whatever is very wrong and risky. I started by sending my children to faraway schools but I later had a change of mind. One of my children went to such a faraway school that it used to take us three years to get there. My wife used to go. I only went there once. After that experience, we said no more.

“So when Showers came up with A-Levels, I said, ‘Thank God!’ We saw it as a chance to break that colonial mentality (sending children to foreign universities and faraway schools especially when they are very young).

“But there’s a lot of work to do. Nigeria is a work in progress. I pray for a day when we can plan our cities so that children can walk to school and come back. They will get mentored by their parents in the home.

In his goodwill message, My-ACE China, the Mayor of Housing, harped on the strength of character of any child apart from high scores in academics. He rewarded the top flyers with N100,000 each and gave another N100,000 to the graduand that won an award in character.

He commended the Akpans for establishing and managing a school that has won global reputation on character, integrity, and excellent results with zero-tolerance for fraud and cheating.

The Mayor of Housing said: “I want to talk to the students about the economics of morality because as a young person, anything that didn’t have money did not interest me.

“When I discovered the Logos and the importance of Logos, I not only read the Bible every day, but I learned a secret that reading is learning and learning is earning. I now read books every day. Because if you don’t know what is written, you’ll be written off.”

Speaking, Emilia Akpan, the managing director, made it clear that the school management was careful in the kind of guests it invited and the caliber of ex-students that were invited.

He said the British Council has remained solidly supportive of the efforts at Showers in the Advance Levels studies and exams over the decades evidenced by Showers International remaining a credible examination centre. “That, for me, is very important. So, it’s not the quantity that matters to us, but the quality.”

She said that was the reason the school instituted annual awards to best graduating students and those who made Showers proud in national and international examinations as well as registering first class in the universities around the world.

She said crooked results would continue to expose the person carrying it about, calling the one ‘thief, thief, thief’.

She said that was the reason the school brought Obembe, the retired oil engineer, because his children graduated at Showers and that the man has firsthand experience of what Showers does to students.

The MD mentioned instances when some students lacked confidence but that she encouraged them to fight the international examinations, which she said they usually passed in flying colours, mentioning one that made 97, 98 and 98. She also regretted that high international examination fees were creating a big decline in enrolments.

Anthony Akpan, the board chairman, who is the husband of the managing director, spoke of hope as what was sustaining the school. He however promised that efforts were on the way to improve the school every time. He also hinted about plans to start a university.

Tamunosisi Gogo Jaja, onetime commissioner of education in the state who is chairman of the parents-teacher association (PTA), said a very highly rated school recommended Showers for his children’s A/Level studies.

He said when you open the door of school, you close the door of the prison yard. “When you study in Showers, you are assured. Parents who want A/Level for their children should consider Showers.”

He mentioned how he supported sending Rivers scholars to the PAMO University after then Gov Nyesom Wike brought back students on scholarships abroad, and how the experiment has helped the state.

The wife of Gogo Jaja asked parents not to pamper their children because a hard future would crush pampered children.

Nneoma Odoemelam, the valedictorian, said: “Our journey has been one of learning, determination, and growth. We have overcome challenges and created memories that will remain with us for many years.

“We must thus salute our parents and guardians for your prayers, sacrifices, encouragement, and unwavering support. You have been our greatest strength.

“As we celebrate this milestone, let us look ahead with confidence, carrying with us the knowledge, memories, and values that will guide us into the future.”