Erinne Commits N250m to Rebuild GSS Afikpo Hall

* Donor expands project scope after structural audit raises cost from N100m

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja 

A 1967 alumnus of Government Secondary School (GSS), Afikpo, Dr. Paul Erinne, has committed N250 million to remodel the school’s Assembly Hall in what stakeholders described as the largest single alumni-funded infrastructure project in any secondary school in South-east Nigeria.

Erinne, a structural engineer and founder of the Paul Erinne Foundation, announced the intervention during the 2026 National Delegates Conference of the Government Secondary School Afikpo Old Boys’ Association (GSSAOBA) held at the school premises in Afikpo, Ebonyi State.

The project, according to a statement issued in Abuja on Friday and made available to THISDAY, initially estimated at N100 million but reportedly rose to N250 million after Erinne conducted a comprehensive structural assessment of the facility and recommended an expanded scope of work.

The statement quoted a past National Chairman of GSSAOBA, Chief Ifeanyi Eleje, as saying the donor insisted on a technical evaluation before making a commitment, a move that significantly altered the scale of the intervention.

According to him, the inspection uncovered critical structural issues requiring a more extensive reconstruction plan.

The upgraded project will transform the Assembly Hall into a modern multipurpose facility equipped with advanced audiovisual systems, professional-grade sound infrastructure, modern interior fittings, and a solar-powered energy system.

The facility is expected to serve academic, civic, and cultural purposes within and outside the school community.

Addressing the alumni, students and dignitaries at the event, Erinne described the intervention as a responsibility to future generations rather than an act of charity.

He urged students of the institution to embrace discipline and excellence, noting that GSS Afikpo had provided him and many others with the foundation for success in life.

“GSS Afikpo gave me and countless others the tools to succeed. It is only right that we give back in a manner that endures for generations,” he said.

Erinne also charged the contractor and school management to ensure accountability and proper maintenance of the facility upon completion.

National President of GSSAOBA, Dr. Bobbie Iwe, described the project as a landmark in alumni-driven educational development in the region, saying it reflected the enduring bond between the institution and its graduates.

The 21st principal of the school, Mr. Ogbonnia Nwachi, commended the donor for the intervention and pledged transparent management of the completed facility.

Founded during the colonial era, Government Secondary School, Afikpo, is regarded as one of Nigeria’s foremost secondary schools, with distinguished alumni across law, medicine, engineering, academia, public service and business.

The Assembly Hall and Pavilion projects were conceived as legacy initiatives during the tenure of Chief Eleje as GSSAOBA national president, but Erinne’s intervention has now elevated the project into a benchmark for alumni-funded educational infrastructure in the South-east.