Following lethal attacks on Otobi community in April 2025, the Future Goldmines Montessori Academy, a private school in Otobi, Otukpo Local Government, has announced its permanent closure. The proprietor, Pastor Valentine Joseph Ejembi, speaking to AkweyaTV cited a devastating combination of rising insecurity, chronic financial struggles, and a critical shortage of teachers.
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The school’s founder had issued a poignant press release to parents and guardians on September 10, stating that the institution will cease all operations effective Monday, September 15th, 2025, exactly seven years after it first opened its doors.
The announcement pointed to a recent “mass exodus” from the local community driven by security threats as the final, insurmountable challenge. Some of the 12 persons killed in the attacks were teachers. This crisis delivered a “ripple effect on the already struggling educational system,” making it impossible to sustain operations.
The school’s founder framed the decision as a reluctant but necessary one, rooted in a refusal to compromise on educational standards. “I will rather shutdown than compromise standards,” the release quoted, calling the conclusion “indeed a hard” one to reach.
While insecurity was the decisive factor, the release detailed long-standing issues that plagued the academy. “Insufficient funds for the handling of operational costs” was cited as the top challenge over the years, followed closely by a persistent teacher shortage. The note clarified that while the teacher crisis was a global phenomenon, it “could have been effectively managed locally with the cooperation of all stakeholders.”
Future Goldmines Montessori Academy opened on September 14, 2018, with a vision to provide qualitative educational services. The founder emphasised that the school was run not as a business but as a “ministry,” though noting that “’money is the bicycle of the missionary.'”
The statement expressed deep gratitude to the Parent-Teacher Association, the School Advisory Board, past and present parents, and the Otobi Community Development Association for their support over the years. A heartfelt message was also directed to the students, with “earnest prayers” that their “academic destinies find fulfilment.”
The closure marks the end of a dream to provide high-quality education to the community, underscoring how broader societal issues like insecurity can directly impact and dismantle local institutions.
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