Amid growing concerns over access to education and skills development for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, Omega Power Ministries (OPM) says it is addressing the gap by converting former commercial properties into free schools and healthcare facilities in Port Harcourt.
The founder of OPM, Apostle Chibuzor Gift, said the initiative is driven by the urgent need to educate vulnerable children and build human capacity as a foundation for long-term social and economic development. He noted that many children from low-income households are denied quality education due to poverty, a situation he described as a major setback to national growth.
As part of this effort, OPM has acquired and repurposed several business structures, including the former Access Bank building at 45 Harold Wilson Drive and the popular Halten Clinic at No. 11 Agudama Avenue, D/Line, transforming them into free schools for children from less privileged homes. A two-storey shopping mall at 38 Elikpokwodu Road, Rukpokwu, has also been converted into an educational facility.
Apostle Gift explained that while the buildings could have been used for profit-making ventures, the church chose to prioritize education and capacity building, arguing that investment in human capital yields greater long-term benefits for society than commercial returns.
According to him, OPM currently operates about 40 free schools for orphans and children from economically challenged families. Many of these schools are located in former commercial buildings that were redesigned to serve educational purposes.
In addition to education, the church has also focused on health as a key component of capacity building. A former hotel in Port Harcourt has been converted into a free hospital, offering medical services, including surgical procedures, at no cost. The hospital attends to patients across religious and denominational lines.
OPM says its approach reflects a broader response to systemic gaps in education and healthcare access, emphasizing that empowering the less privileged through learning and essential services is critical to reducing poverty, improving productivity, and strengthening communities.
